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Next we would like to call the
district attorney's office.

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You actually tend to. Treat.

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Training technology as. Good as.

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Little.

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As. Counseling.

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Became

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a second. To get my gun.
For Good morning. Mr

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District Attorney. And those who were
accompanying you thank you for coming even.

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If you made state your name for. Wrecker
in proceed with your testimony thank you

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very much Mr Chairman and for the record
my name is suffer Williams and I have the

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honor of serving the city that we love
as the twenty fourth district attorney.

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Mr Chairman I'm joined today by to my left
my first assistant Mr George Mosey and

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to my right your left Jody Lobel who serves
as our deputy for training technology

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and special projects I also have many
other members of our office that are here

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hopefully if I can answer some of your
questions I hope we will be able to support

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me and get you the answers that you need
I like to begin by just stating for the

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record how faithful I am for the working
relationship that we have with all the

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Council specifically council president
Clarke in this budget process this year has

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been

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a significant change and improvement I believe
over the past I want to thank council

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president Clarke and his budget staff
I also want to thank Mayor Kenny and

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his staff specifically Rob to go and
Adams and Brian Abernathy it's been

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a breath of fresh air working with them
trying to address the needs of public

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safety in our city and the needs of the
district attorney and I look forward to

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working with them in moving forward together
as we try to protect our our city and

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keep our city say does want to stop by
saying that I appreciate and know all of you

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very well respect all of you when we meet
and talk all throughout the year so it's

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an honor for me to be here on behalf of the
six hundred men and women the district

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attorney's office to talk about our office
and our concern our unified need all of

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us to keep our city as safe as possible I
think it's appropriate it's nice to see

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a district attorney who's out there streets
with not only the community but folks

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who've been elected by the
community a you know seen first

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a. You know what we're faced with don't
want to day to day basis with thank balance

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but you know I grew up in Cobb
creek and I love being the D.A.

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I'm trying to just be the best steward of
the office I can be for however long I

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have that ability to serve as

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a district attorney so I thank you for
saying that I think it's appropriate to

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begin. My very good friend and counsel
green began that one of his questions of

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justice I'm sorry Judge Sheila
was skipper of I gave her

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a promotion by now but he started talking
about the MacArthur Grant I think it's

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appropriate in many ways for us to begin
I think I see receiving the MacArthur

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Grant is. One of the
greatest recognitions and

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demonstrations of. The public
safety the criminal justice

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partners in foot off you work together and
how we're committed to public safety and

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how we're committed to reforms in the
criminal justice system. The amount of money

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that we receive through the MacArthur
grant itself is it's almost

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a rounding error if you look at the city's
entire budget but the fact that we were

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selected after

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a very rigorous process and that they believe
that all the partners the police the

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courts the public defender the prison
commissioner all of us are committed to

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reducing our prison population by approximately
thirty four percent doing all that

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we can to reform the criminal
justice system I think really is

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a feather in the cap of the city if it off
and I just want to start by by bringing

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that to everyone's attention but again
criminal justice reform this is

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a term we hear about

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a lot lately council president Clarke has
prioritize it and Mayor Kenny focused on

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it well before he became mayor we hear
President Obama and Speaker Paul Ryan and

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many others discuss the need for reform
could justice reform is not and should not

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be

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a scary concept it does not. Nor should it
mean letting offenders out of prison early

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for the sake of emptying our prisons
it does not mean giving breaks to sex

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offenders murderers or those who terrorize
our communities with illegal firearms it

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does not mean throwing taxpayer money at
programs that demonstrate no evidence of

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reducing recidivism criminal justice
reform is something more profound the term

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acknowledges that our system has flaws
and that working together we can make it

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better when the system is improved all those
people who are involved and it benefit

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for victims and improve system means
more efficiency if you were delayed and

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a greater likelihood that the perpetrators
will be held accountable for less

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volatile Fender's it means the greater
likelihood of removing barriers to being

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meaningfully employed for X.

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Offenders generally means more and better
programs designed to address their

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criminogenic needs so they will be both
help accountable for their conduct and

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presented with an opportunity to get better
and ultimately do better for taxpayers

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it means

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a better use of taxpayer dollars because
if done right criminal justice reform will

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reduce recidivism receive is

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a reduction means less crime fewer
victims robust re entry and ultimately

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a better criminal justice system. It wasn't
that long ago that I spoke with counsel

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during my first budget
testimony about the need for

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a perform my help this book
up that day smart on crime by

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a California attorney general Kamala
Harris. Seven years ago some of these

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concepts seemed out of
the mainstream. When

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a small amounts of marijuana
marijuana program give too much of

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a break to pot smokers and lead to more
illegal drugs on our streets how can we

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have diversionary programs like the choice
is yours in which potential felons could

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be diverted into

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a program. I mean we're resolving many
of our misdemeanor cases by offering

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specialized and tailored
diversion just send

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a message that we aren't taking
crime seriously enough is

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a stablish in an entire separate pretrial
division from which all of our diverse

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new programs would be overseen the best use
of our limited resources why should why

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would the district attorney be discussing
second chances for nonviolent offenders

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we've come

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a long way people don't ask those questions
anymore instead we're all talking about

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further. But the pushing of criminal justice
reform only tells part of the story if

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only were that simple for at the same time
we are unlike in years past grappling

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with

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a significant uptick in gun violence people
are beginning to feel less safe and less

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secure on our streets and we're also dealing
with the scourge of an opioid epidemic

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that options are dying at an alarming
rate from heroin or prescription drugs in

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other opioid overdoses Mr Chairman in twenty
fourteen there were six hundred fifty

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five drug related overdose deaths in
Philadelphia nearly three hundred fifty

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involve heroin. How frightening that the
cycle for which. Can and often does

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start from addiction to prescription pain
medication. Think about all we have to do

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contain gun violence contain

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a heroin epidemic continue to hold our
most violent offenders accountable make

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people feel safe in their homes and
communities encourage more second chances and

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help out ride the city's infrastructure
so the programs for those offenders with

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criminogenic needs are good effective and
available that's for all of us to do this

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body my office and each of the entities
coming before you today in budget hearings

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so that we know where we need to go let's
talk briefly about what we have been able

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to do. During war Fender's out of the
criminal justice system nearly forty

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percent of our Mr minor cases are diverted
out of the criminal justice system which

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is

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a tremendous increase since two thousand
and ten diverting these cases that has not

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negatively affected public safety
within one year of completing

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a diversionary program fewer than fourteen
percent of those individuals were

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rearrested. Within three years fewer than
twenty five percent of these individuals

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were rearrested consider that their real
rest rate for those released from state

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prison is sixty three percent.
Resolved cases faster earlier

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a new councilman Dom asked

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a question about case resolution during
the same time period misdemeanors are

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dispose of much faster for more than
seven months to less than four and

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a half months we charge fewer people
with crimes now in twenty ten we charged

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twenty six thousand four hundred sixty
seven misdemeanor cases and twenty fifteen

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we charged eighteen thousand and
ninety six a decrease of almost

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a third. At the same time fewer cases are
withdrawn we've had to withdraw fourteen

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percent fewer Mr minor cases. We are also
now holding more cases for court. Ruling

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about seventy two percent about felonies
for court and twenty fifteen in comparison

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to sixty three percent in two thousand and
ten. Nearly twenty percent about Downey

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cases are disposed of well before trial
through our somewhat one program that you

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heard of earlier. Had these cases proceed
to trial without early disposition

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afforded by the smart rooms they might
still be listed on court dockets it takes

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a long time for

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a case resolved by trial cases are continued
for various reasons yet each listing

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the defendant is brought to court if it
costs rated victims and witnesses are

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subpoenaed to appear police officers must
attend court drugs and guns are tested by

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a criminalistics experts and monies expended
to list cases and occupy court time

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small rooms Mr Chairman our fish and
resolving cases early without the need for

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long trial dates and attendant expenses
reducing recidivism by successfully

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diverting nonviolent drug
dealers the choice is yours

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a program that I. Tell
people plagiarism is

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00:12:25,69 --> 00:12:29,32
a bad thing in law school plagiarism The
great thing is the DA and I stole that

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idea from Kemal Harris from when
she was the DA of San Francisco.

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Of those who ended up program sixty
seven or eighty eight percent had

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a graduation rate and only

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a twelve percent rearrest rate of those
twenty five who rejected our program

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seventeen are two thirds have been
convicted of a felony sixty percent have

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a real rest rate five times worse than our
graduates. Those graduates who have been

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rearrested spin one hundred ninety nine
days in custody those who rejected the

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program and have been rearrested spent
three thousand four hundred seventeen days

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in custody therefore we've shown

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a cost savings of at least three hundred
twenty thousand dollars All this has

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allowed us to focus on more serious and
violent cases and we've succeeded look at

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our conviction rate increase from twenty
ten to twenty fifteen how massage is up

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nine percent from seventy percent to eighty
seven percent weight is up nine percent

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from fifty five percent to sixty four
percent the illegal gun possession is up

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thirteen percent from fifty two percent to
sixty five percent and Mr JENNER We are

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saving the city money I am program saves
the city and we about three point five

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million dollars The choice is yours three
hundred twenty thousand dollars bench

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want

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a court close to one hundred thousand dollars
smog rooms the equivalent of eighteen

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officers are on the street instead of
in the courtroom which is at least

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a savings of my hundred
thousand dollars as

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a result of our diversionary programs over
one thousand drug cases were resolved

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without ever having to order an analysis
from our chemical add saving the city at

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least another one hundred thousand dollars
just as important this is reduce the

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burden on the labs in terms of work hours
needed to process backlogs we're thinking

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outside the box in our battle against
heroin overdose we're doing things that

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prospers historically never done with the
funding from the Pennsylvania District

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Attorney's Association and in the pens
Blue Cross we are assuming the major

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responsibility for our drug Dropbox. Graham
commissioner Ross has been integral in

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the stablish ing and helping us maintain
the program his staff every police

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district has been unequivocal collaborative
drug drop boxes are critical in our

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fight against prescription drug abuse
assault Mr Chairman you tweeted that this

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00:14:51,98 --> 00:14:58,98
weekend about people being able to turn in
drugs on Saturday. County detectives are

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collecting and transporting the collected
drugs I make this point to emphasize that

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we're doing so much more with every
meaningful budgetary increase to date we've

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collected about two hundred pounds of
prescription medicines and things are brought

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out of people's homes and cabinets we have
our meds returned boxes at the first the

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fifteenth the nineteenth the twenty second
twenty fifth and thirty fifth police

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district. Phase two will start very shortly
will be adding the third fifth sixth

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seventh twelfth fourteenth and twenty
sixth with our colleagues at the District

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00:15:35,58 --> 00:15:39,78
Attorney Association we secured fifty
thousand dollars in funding from Blue Cross

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for the purchase also of the locks own
kits which the police will be using on our

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streets also from with
Bank of vantage which is

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a company in Conshohocken that has agreed
to destroy of all these drugs that were

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turning in. Propose funding request for
the proposed fiscal year twenty seven

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00:16:00,06 --> 00:16:04,14
thousand general fund budget totals thirty
six million two hundred ninety five

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00:16:04,15 --> 00:16:08,57
thousand seven hundred eighteen which is
an increase of eight hundred thirteen

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00:16:08,58 --> 00:16:12,97
thousand five hundred four over fiscal
year two thousand and sixteen estimated

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00:16:13,01 --> 00:16:17,98
obligation levels this increase will
generally allow us to maintain current

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00:16:17,99 --> 00:16:23,93
staffing levels and cover salaries that
have been covered by grants. The proposed

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00:16:23,94 --> 00:16:27,72
budget includes thirty three million three
hundred three five hundred twenty five

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00:16:27,73 --> 00:16:32,33
in class one hundred which is an eight
hundred thirteen thousand five hundred four

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00:16:32,34 --> 00:16:38,34
dollar increase over fiscal year sixteen
again this funding will be mandated unit

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00:16:38,35 --> 00:16:44,28
increases and maintain current staffing
levels. We appreciate this increase I can't

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00:16:44,29 --> 00:16:48,51
state that enough we appreciate the dialogue
that we've had with the mayor's office

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and the recognition that our office needs
more resources I want to especially

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00:16:53,38 --> 00:16:58,58
acknowledge Brian Abernathy for working
with first assistant George Mozy to ensure

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00:16:58,59 --> 00:17:05,11
the money that we were losing from federal
and state grants would not. Hurt us and

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00:17:05,12 --> 00:17:08,62
that they were unsure that we receive that
eight hundred thirty thousand dollars

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00:17:09,28 --> 00:17:13,47
you might ask why are we losing grant
funding the state and federal governments

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00:17:13,99 --> 00:17:18,44
generally do not award rate funds for more
than two years after that time period

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00:17:18,50 --> 00:17:25,01
they expect agencies to sustain grant funded
programs out of their congregants. If

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00:17:25,02 --> 00:17:29,68
a budget were merely adjusted for inflation
from fiscal year zero five our budget

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00:17:29,69 --> 00:17:34,68
would be one million dollars higher than
what it is in the proposed budget. And I

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00:17:34,69 --> 00:17:35,11
brought

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00:17:35,12 --> 00:17:39,96
a chart to demonstrate that Mr Gregg
Rove was the chief of my legislation and

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00:17:39,97 --> 00:17:43,33
policy unit will do his best
Vanna White and person nation.

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And so again the police prisons and Sheriff
budgets are far higher than if their

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00:17:53,98 --> 00:17:58,38
budgets were merely tracked for inflation
the police fifty nine million dollars

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00:17:58,39 --> 00:18:03,23
higher prisons twenty four million dollars
higher and the share of two point four

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00:18:03,24 --> 00:18:07,65
million dollars higher. Since two thousand
and nine the D.A.'s office has had the

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00:18:07,66 --> 00:18:12,59
lowest percentage budgetary increase
twelve percent of any other public safety

216
00:18:12,60 --> 00:18:17,29
agency sheriff's budgets increased thirty
two percent police twenty four percent

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00:18:17,60 --> 00:18:24,20
fire seventeen percent prisons seventeen
percent the average increase since two

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00:18:24,21 --> 00:18:30,62
thousand and nine for promote justice
agencies twenty one percent. Well we do with

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additional funding. Of folks deterrence
expansion our fight against gun violence.

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In collaboration in conjunction with our
partners especially the police. With

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a prostitute in seventy five thousand
dollars we would have an additional two

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00:18:48,11 --> 00:18:52,98
assistant DA is into detectives to work
on reducing gun violence in our city.

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Expungement I know many of members of
counselors want to do as much as we can to

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help individuals get their
records expunged which is

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a step beyond just banning the box since
we do not object to the vast majority of

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expungement petitions we can review law
petitions if we had more bodies approx one

227
00:19:13,18 --> 00:19:15,22
hundred seventy five
thousand dollars allows

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00:19:15,23 --> 00:19:19,70
a two additional A.T.A.'s and one clerk
reviewing these expungement petitions

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00:19:20,29 --> 00:19:26,06
what's petitions being reviewed means more
expungement will be granted faster. In

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this endeavor we all agree the process has
to be right. Equally important funds for

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00:19:32,72 --> 00:19:37,40
retaining staff I understand the budget
is tight I've been hearing that from

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counsel for the past seven years
and I understand but the city has

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a significant number of priorities including
helping to adequately fund our schools

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00:19:46,88 --> 00:19:51,36
which is the greatest crime
prevention tool assistant D.A.

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00:19:51,37 --> 00:19:55,13
Is leave the office because they don't like
their jobs because law firms typically

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pay

237
00:19:55,39 --> 00:19:59,66
a significant amount more than we can will
never be able to match the salaries of

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the firms but any increase so the best and
brightest in my office can receive even

239
00:20:05,02 --> 00:20:09,92
a modest Bob to keep up with the rising
cost of every day life will help us keep

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00:20:09,93 --> 00:20:15,20
those who are committed trained in our
programs and philosophies and know what it

241
00:20:15,21 --> 00:20:19,78
is to be smart on crime Mr Chairman
members of council I'd also like to speak

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00:20:19,79 --> 00:20:20,37
briefly about

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00:20:20,38 --> 00:20:24,84
a lot of vision which is something most
people go even understand or think of when

244
00:20:24,85 --> 00:20:29,49
they think of when they watch Law and Order
I wouldn't take them out. And recognize

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00:20:29,50 --> 00:20:30,24
the great work of

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00:20:30,25 --> 00:20:34,25
a lot of vision consisting of assistant
district attorneys who often get the least

247
00:20:34,26 --> 00:20:39,10
recognition because their work is primarily
to defend the convictions of our office

248
00:20:39,89 --> 00:20:44,93
they are writers researchers and advocates
before our power cords they are bright

249
00:20:45,19 --> 00:20:49,89
thoughtful and inquisitive and work very
hard to ensure convictions are sustained.

250
00:20:50,94 --> 00:20:55,47
They help create appellate law explain the
nuances to the courts and at the end of

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00:20:55,48 --> 00:20:57,93
the day ensure that our crime victims have

252
00:20:57,94 --> 00:21:04,52
a voice an advocate in our superior
Commonwealth supreme and federal courts that

253
00:21:04,53 --> 00:21:08,44
institutional knowledge at these assistant
district attorneys have is impressive

254
00:21:08,49 --> 00:21:12,53
and invaluable their knowledge of the
law is not something that is learned

255
00:21:12,54 --> 00:21:13,91
overnight it is

256
00:21:13,92 --> 00:21:19,53
a deep knowledge from years and years of
research writing and other experience they

257
00:21:19,54 --> 00:21:23,61
understand the most complicated areas
of the law they're able to use their

258
00:21:23,62 --> 00:21:28,42
commitment and intellectual skills to ensure
that the guilty such as murderers and

259
00:21:28,43 --> 00:21:33,85
rapists remain behind bars many of these
individuals could end up at big law firms

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00:21:33,86 --> 00:21:34,08
making

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00:21:34,09 --> 00:21:38,12
a lot of money but they have stayed true
to public service and their commitment to

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00:21:38,13 --> 00:21:41,70
the city if an offer so Mr Chairman
and members of council we've come

263
00:21:41,71 --> 00:21:44,16
a long way in seven years we still have

264
00:21:44,17 --> 00:21:50,89
a very long way to go I remain excited and
committed to us fighting best practices

265
00:21:50,90 --> 00:21:54,86
from all over the world to help make
Philadelphia the safest city for all of us to

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00:21:54,87 --> 00:22:00,45
live work and play with that Mr Chairman
and in accord with the wishes of the

267
00:22:00,46 --> 00:22:06,01
president of counsel we've submitted an
overview of our budget and lots of charts

268
00:22:06,88 --> 00:22:10,73
and with that I'll take any questions
you may have three. Thank you for your

269
00:22:10,74 --> 00:22:12,79
testimony you said I could make

270
00:22:12,80 --> 00:22:17,77
a request that these charts if you could
email them to the chair so we can get them

271
00:22:17,78 --> 00:22:21,98
out all counsel certainly as I
figure you know we there you make

272
00:22:21,99 --> 00:22:26,66
a compelling argument when the
disparity in resources is force

273
00:22:26,67 --> 00:22:31,26
a rate of return it you know what world.
Trying to accomplish within it. You know

274
00:22:31,32 --> 00:22:38,28
having or having your part in the
criminal justice system. So and So with

275
00:22:38,29 --> 00:22:42,33
that with that being said you know that
I'm just sitting here listening to your

276
00:22:42,34 --> 00:22:48,06
testimony and and look at the charts and
you started off by knowledge and what

277
00:22:48,10 --> 00:22:54,02
a great recognition it is for Philadelphia
to receive the record. Just the the

278
00:22:54,03 --> 00:23:00,08
recognition of what we're what we're
trying to do and. It's just you know.

279
00:23:01,51 --> 00:23:06,76
And I also recall when you first you know
were elected into office and then it is

280
00:23:06,77 --> 00:23:13,62
settled your team and. Campaign against
you or living by beats mortal crime

281
00:23:13,94 --> 00:23:20,07
and that is exactly what this recognition
is about with with the MacArthur with the

282
00:23:20,08 --> 00:23:25,50
MacArthur agreement putting together the
criminal justice system it's a tally for

283
00:23:25,51 --> 00:23:26,71
a for

284
00:23:26,72 --> 00:23:33,14
a longer term approach to reduce you know
our recidivism rate or general population

285
00:23:33,15 --> 00:23:40,04
rate in our prisons as well as
increase and or diversionary programs

286
00:23:40,42 --> 00:23:44,59
which you it's been a
priority of yours for

287
00:23:44,60 --> 00:23:50,40
a long time they'll in your budget testimony
you had mentioned that you would like

288
00:23:50,41 --> 00:23:56,17
to improve some some of the other diversionary
program components could you maybe

289
00:23:56,18 --> 00:23:56,89
touch on that

290
00:23:56,90 --> 00:24:01,52
a little bit because I think it all goes
into play on what we're you know how we're

291
00:24:01,53 --> 00:24:06,01
all working together certainly to Certainly
Miss Cheriton that again the MacArthur

292
00:24:06,02 --> 00:24:12,96
Grant I think embodies and
personifies how well the

293
00:24:13,00 --> 00:24:18,84
Criminal Justice advisory board and all of
the public safety agencies and fluffier

294
00:24:18,85 --> 00:24:23,28
work together. And yes I read and two
thousand and five in two thousand on

295
00:24:23,29 --> 00:24:25,30
a platform of us being smart on crime in

296
00:24:25,31 --> 00:24:29,97
a lot before all that which is readily all
these numbers Obst knowing. And as you

297
00:24:29,98 --> 00:24:35,68
know in December of two thousand and nine
the fluff Enquirer Craig McCoy Nancy

298
00:24:35,69 --> 00:24:36,68
Phillips published

299
00:24:36,69 --> 00:24:42,99
a series justice delayed denied dismissed
and it chronicled this veer dysfunction

300
00:24:43,55 --> 00:24:47,89
across the board of the fill up your
criminal justice system with that as

301
00:24:47,90 --> 00:24:53,27
a backdrop and with all of us working
with the municipal budget in freefall we

302
00:24:53,28 --> 00:24:57,05
began working together to do all that we
could to make the system better and I

303
00:24:57,06 --> 00:25:03,96
think that the MacArthur Foundation is
recognition demonstrates how of the hundreds

304
00:25:03,97 --> 00:25:09,69
of cities that apply they saw
that commitment was the most

305
00:25:10,47 --> 00:25:16,64
meaningful and the truest and were the
receipt of the award. I really believe that

306
00:25:16,65 --> 00:25:19,72
we being smart of crime doesn't mean that
we're soft and criminals so we have to do

307
00:25:19,73 --> 00:25:23,28
all we can Jodi sitting next
to me when I became the D.A.

308
00:25:23,29 --> 00:25:27,49
We triple the number of people not trying
cases in the court but just those that

309
00:25:27,50 --> 00:25:32,68
are in the room reviewing all the paperwork
to ensure that we only charge the right

310
00:25:32,69 --> 00:25:37,10
people that we only charge them
with the right crimes there was

311
00:25:37,11 --> 00:25:40,28
a lot of tension at first when we did
that law people were mad that we were

312
00:25:40,64 --> 00:25:45,48
reviewing cases in that way but was the
right thing to do and we've as you heard

313
00:25:46,08 --> 00:25:51,46
significantly almost eight times increase
the number of diversionary programs that

314
00:25:51,47 --> 00:25:56,38
we have now are here in Philadelphia
everything we have Veterans Court reheard of

315
00:25:56,55 --> 00:26:03,19
dawn court you heard of the choice is yours
I have a program with community court

316
00:26:03,29 --> 00:26:06,44
a community college or instead
of sending someone to jail with

317
00:26:06,45 --> 00:26:11,87
a felony we're going to send them to community
college so the truth is yours as an

318
00:26:11,88 --> 00:26:16,95
example I've spoken with Councilman green
about possibly different funding sources

319
00:26:17,55 --> 00:26:20,96
but if we were to send someone
to state prison Mr Chairman for

320
00:26:20,97 --> 00:26:27,04
a year costs about forty thousand dollars.
And the failure rate the recidivism rate

321
00:26:27,10 --> 00:26:31,80
as you heard that sixty. Three percent get
rearrested within three years of their

322
00:26:31,81 --> 00:26:36,54
Rio their release so from a left
wing let's get something done to

323
00:26:36,55 --> 00:26:42,23
a far right wing return on investment
perspective what we're doing is failing the

324
00:26:42,24 --> 00:26:46,75
choice is yours a program in which we take
individuals that could go to jail for

325
00:26:46,76 --> 00:26:51,65
a minimum of one year for the sale of
illegal drugs on our streets and instead of

326
00:26:51,66 --> 00:26:57,77
sending them to prison we teach them life
skills right don't get another tattoo on

327
00:26:57,78 --> 00:27:04,56
your eyelids pull your pants up show up on
time they get literacy training and work

328
00:27:04,97 --> 00:27:09,74
ready training for jobs that are necessary
in the economy of Philadelphia and if

329
00:27:09,75 --> 00:27:14,90
they successfully complete the program as
a chairman their records. Will just drop

330
00:27:14,91 --> 00:27:18,48
a case we expunged their
record and so this is

331
00:27:18,49 --> 00:27:21,08
a significant case because
about four thousand dollars

332
00:27:21,09 --> 00:27:28,05
a year to operate. I'm very thankful that
Jerry led fest and moderate lend fest led

333
00:27:28,06 --> 00:27:32,49
fest Foundation began by giving us one point
four million dollars to get started we

334
00:27:32,50 --> 00:27:35,99
received another I think close to four
hundred thousand dollars from the way in

335
00:27:36,00 --> 00:27:41,92
Penn foundation but I truly believe this
is something that new small government and

336
00:27:41,93 --> 00:27:47,01
the state government should fund at that
four thousand dollars per person we could

337
00:27:47,29 --> 00:27:53,08
save a lot of lives. By an increase in
the choice is yours program but we have

338
00:27:53,09 --> 00:27:58,18
a lot of other programs amp one amp to all
these other programs we want you know of

339
00:27:58,48 --> 00:28:02,92
the Sam programs small amounts of marijuana
where instead of trying these cases and

340
00:28:02,93 --> 00:28:07,34
clogging the courtrooms we're trying to
address the criminogenic needs of these

341
00:28:07,35 --> 00:28:12,50
individuals so don't come back to court so
don't read victimize others and all this

342
00:28:12,51 --> 00:28:18,46
is saving the city money on top of promoting
public safety so being crease as your

343
00:28:18,55 --> 00:28:24,20
You're just describe it for soft skills
and correct and some other components to

344
00:28:24,72 --> 00:28:29,65
diversionary programs to produce to
recidivism say that sixty. Three percent or

345
00:28:29,69 --> 00:28:35,86
back in the system correct three years so
all that is that occlude expungement you

346
00:28:35,87 --> 00:28:41,47
would you imagine that you know so we're
working know many council people I know

347
00:28:41,62 --> 00:28:47,25
councilman Johnson and my councilman
councilman Curtis Jones Jr often contact me

348
00:28:47,26 --> 00:28:51,42
and want to do more working with the bar
Susi ation work with the barristers

349
00:28:51,43 --> 00:28:58,29
Association to put on expungement clinics
and we are definitely supporters of that

350
00:28:58,57 --> 00:29:03,89
so that people who have had their cases
thrown out of corn or withdrawn prosecution

351
00:29:03,90 --> 00:29:05,91
or world quitted I would have

352
00:29:05,92 --> 00:29:10,38
a great opportunity to have those records
expunged the step as I said earlier

353
00:29:10,39 --> 00:29:16,41
beyond just banning the box which I know
passed through council recently and so

354
00:29:16,42 --> 00:29:21,20
we've asked it would be helpful so that we
could cut down the backlog we can review

355
00:29:21,21 --> 00:29:26,08
more of those cases if we were having
an additional one hundred seventy five

356
00:29:26,09 --> 00:29:31,87
thousand dollars but allow us it higher
to radiational clerk just to handle those

357
00:29:31,88 --> 00:29:32,99
expungement in

358
00:29:33,00 --> 00:29:38,11
a much better and more efficient way you
agree that your chair recognizes counsel

359
00:29:38,12 --> 00:29:44,67
on the board. Thank you Mr Chairman and
good morning good morning I want to. I want

360
00:29:44,68 --> 00:29:51,48
to talk about. The economics crime
unit which is one that I worked very

361
00:29:51,49 --> 00:29:52,45
closely with as

362
00:29:52,46 --> 00:29:58,73
a staffer here for fifteen years in this
body but before I did that I needed to

363
00:29:59,10 --> 00:30:00,12
foot it record give

364
00:30:00,13 --> 00:30:05,67
a special shout out to great who I became
working with during his tenure in the

365
00:30:05,68 --> 00:30:07,97
rebel ministry share with them

366
00:30:07,98 --> 00:30:12,29
a detour of reporting over the last the
Stilton guns when we were able to push for

367
00:30:12,30 --> 00:30:18,66
that historic vote on the floor when we
were working on the passage of House bill

368
00:30:18,67 --> 00:30:25,00
twelve sixty four which was actually
signed into law and allow the experts to

369
00:30:25,01 --> 00:30:31,52
testify cases of sexual assault. Obviously
the attention was after the same

370
00:30:31,53 --> 00:30:37,81
dusky child receives so much attention and
I just needed to say thank you to him

371
00:30:37,82 --> 00:30:44,11
for the record from the economic crimes
unit prospective how many more years do we

372
00:30:44,12 --> 00:30:51,05
have assigned to that unit. First let me
thank you for recognizing great row I have

373
00:30:51,06 --> 00:30:56,06
the opportunity I just I was six hundred
the greatest people and Greg Rowe who was

374
00:30:56,07 --> 00:30:58,19
achieved by legislation
policy unit there's

375
00:30:58,20 --> 00:31:02,48
a phenomenal job the District Attorney's
Association Pennsylvania who is comprised

376
00:31:02,49 --> 00:31:06,09
of two people that would go to Harrisburg
as you know from your history as

377
00:31:06,10 --> 00:31:09,23
a state legislature Greg wrote in
this actually Marcus you may do

378
00:31:09,24 --> 00:31:14,24
a phenomenal job on behalf of all Pennsylvanians
but I want them to also work more

379
00:31:14,25 --> 00:31:19,34
with counsel as ever you have ideas about
public safety issues to contact best food

380
00:31:19,35 --> 00:31:23,95
and help you we have an economic crimes
unit which is in our investigations

381
00:31:23,96 --> 00:31:25,24
division has

382
00:31:25,25 --> 00:31:32,12
a chief Lisa Caulfield and I believe
we have. About four assistant

383
00:31:32,13 --> 00:31:36,26
district attorneys are assigned to the
economic crimes unit they handle all types

384
00:31:36,27 --> 00:31:42,66
of cases ranging from cases in which elders
are being scammed in many ways cases

385
00:31:42,67 --> 00:31:46,16
often in which there's about fifty thousand
dollars or more in controversy where

386
00:31:46,17 --> 00:31:50,39
someone is trying to steal a
deed of a property and they do

387
00:31:50,40 --> 00:31:51,57
a lot of great work I get

388
00:31:51,58 --> 00:31:55,96
a lot of crazy e-mails from people
who've said that I may have inherited

389
00:31:55,97 --> 00:31:59,73
a million dollars you might get some of
those too and every time I did those

390
00:31:59,74 --> 00:32:03,53
e-mails I for them to economic crimes
units because they're often are

391
00:32:03,54 --> 00:32:07,90
a pattern or people that are trying
to prey on people but they do

392
00:32:07,91 --> 00:32:12,48
a lot of great work on economic crimes
unit that number that she just gave fifty

393
00:32:12,49 --> 00:32:18,74
thousand dollars and that was in regards
to. I'm really concerned about the

394
00:32:18,93 --> 00:32:25,41
issues associated with home contractors and
while you know familiar obviously with

395
00:32:25,42 --> 00:32:31,95
the Home Improvement consumer protection.
Its relevance to the civil remedy right

396
00:32:32,02 --> 00:32:38,04
we have seen an influx particularly
with. The issues associated

397
00:32:38,56 --> 00:32:39,73
specifically with

398
00:32:39,74 --> 00:32:45,29
a mortgage product called for support
Yes and during that hearing we heard

399
00:32:45,33 --> 00:32:51,93
a lot about home. Contractors but
they talked about the low to low down

400
00:32:51,97 --> 00:32:58,21
amount so my question to you is what does
that unit coordinate with that was not on

401
00:32:58,22 --> 00:33:04,67
the prosecution. Side they communicating
and coordinating so that with the senior

402
00:33:04,68 --> 00:33:06,52
Law Center and is there

403
00:33:06,56 --> 00:33:12,70
a limit to what the amount of the contractor
for all is that would chigger our our

404
00:33:12,83 --> 00:33:19,64
our department to then pursue prosecution
so the easy answer is yes in the dead

405
00:33:19,65 --> 00:33:23,25
Nixon is an assistant district attorney
or economic crimes unit she handles the

406
00:33:23,26 --> 00:33:30,23
majority of our elder abuse cases.
Comes to economic abuse and

407
00:33:30,62 --> 00:33:37,01
so yes she works with the corporation
for the aging and older Law Project

408
00:33:37,81 --> 00:33:43,64
with that I want to find out about working
with Ellen I also but if you find

409
00:33:43,65 --> 00:33:46,91
there's a pattern there's often a
things that we will put before

410
00:33:46,92 --> 00:33:52,10
a grand jury or we will conduct an investigation
with the major crimes unit of the

411
00:33:52,11 --> 00:33:56,37
food off your police department to get
to the bottom of it. The fifty thousand

412
00:33:56,38 --> 00:34:01,14
dollars threshold is just something for
that new bit of smile as if there's ninety

413
00:34:01,15 --> 00:34:03,53
nine cents in controversy and there's

414
00:34:03,54 --> 00:34:08,44
a crime office will prosecute it will be
handled by one of our geographic units as

415
00:34:08,45 --> 00:34:14,49
opposed to the economic crimes unit Mr
District Attorney if you can I would be very

416
00:34:14,79 --> 00:34:21,44
interested in getting an overview
of the prosecuting cases that

417
00:34:21,76 --> 00:34:27,58
the economic crimes unit has worked on from
the out the city and I appreciate your

418
00:34:27,59 --> 00:34:32,61
referencing the regional offices and the
role that they play but if we could have

419
00:34:32,62 --> 00:34:34,88
sent to the council president and over

420
00:34:35,10 --> 00:34:41,19
a citywide overview and then have them
based on your regional locations or if it

421
00:34:41,20 --> 00:34:45,73
was done by counsel Matic district obviously
that would be great this fall for us

422
00:34:45,74 --> 00:34:50,41
and I'll come back. During the
second right now because you mention

423
00:34:50,42 --> 00:34:57,27
a pattern but our challenge is
sometimes whether or not the contract

424
00:34:57,28 --> 00:35:01,01
or. The contract is so low let's say

425
00:35:01,02 --> 00:35:06,56
a thousand dollars or fifteen hundred dollars
what I'm hearing from constituents is

426
00:35:06,57 --> 00:35:12,79
that the A man is so low right that that
it is not sort of be him prosecuted and

427
00:35:12,80 --> 00:35:17,31
they are being referred to the to the A.G.'s
office which is why I'm bringing it up

428
00:35:17,32 --> 00:35:21,85
all right and Councilman I think part of
that is that when it comes to our charging

429
00:35:21,86 --> 00:35:24,93
the police have investigated the
question comes down to is it

430
00:35:24,94 --> 00:35:31,12
a civil matter or was actual chronic
clearly it could be consumer. Protection

431
00:35:31,13 --> 00:35:36,53
issues that aren't criminal that they have
civil remedies and that's something that

432
00:35:36,54 --> 00:35:41,48
the attorney general's office handles in
their consumer protection bureau but I

433
00:35:41,49 --> 00:35:45,53
will definitely get back to you and maybe
set an appointment so that amp Ontario

434
00:35:45,54 --> 00:35:49,84
who is here with me she was the deputy
of our investigations division which has

435
00:35:49,85 --> 00:35:54,30
oversight over our economic crimes unit
and Curtis Douglas who is currently the

436
00:35:54,31 --> 00:35:58,27
deputy between the knowledge of those two
may be sitting and meeting with you and

437
00:35:58,28 --> 00:36:01,63
your staff members or I counsel hearing
on doubt that I think would be very

438
00:36:01,64 --> 00:36:06,05
worthwhile thank you and thank you Mr Chair
for for your leeway but again it would

439
00:36:06,06 --> 00:36:07,35
be great to have from

440
00:36:07,36 --> 00:36:11,25
a city perspective those specks in those
numbers thank you Mr Chip Thank you

441
00:36:11,26 --> 00:36:18,15
Councilman councilman. Thank you Chairman
greenly And good morning Mr District

442
00:36:18,16 --> 00:36:21,48
Attorney for sorority don't you look
pretty good by the way considering it

443
00:36:21,49 --> 00:36:27,74
a boxing match this week yeah I do best I
can and my my my head is still ringing.

444
00:36:28,93 --> 00:36:30,82
As a great cause so it's good to have

445
00:36:30,83 --> 00:36:35,93
a few quick questions
for you. The first was

446
00:36:36,41 --> 00:36:41,82
a tendon orientation my first I think was
January or February of this year yes we

447
00:36:41,83 --> 00:36:41,94
had

448
00:36:41,95 --> 00:36:46,16
a great orientation was that twenty five or
six district attorneys in that room very

449
00:36:46,17 --> 00:36:50,50
informal It was the best orientation I had
to have any department in the City thank

450
00:36:50,51 --> 00:36:51,69
you and you guys did do

451
00:36:51,70 --> 00:36:55,15
a really good job so that was what the
commend you on the record for the job you

452
00:36:55,20 --> 00:36:59,68
all of you were doing and I will say
this The choice is yours and the way I

453
00:36:59,69 --> 00:37:01,82
understand the numbers on the
choice is yours which is

454
00:37:01,83 --> 00:37:07,06
a great program and that we should fund
whatever is needed is that of course the

455
00:37:07,07 --> 00:37:09,31
ballot four thousand dollars per person

456
00:37:09,49 --> 00:37:13,79
a year that's correct and the savings is
about forty to forty four thousand forty

457
00:37:13,80 --> 00:37:18,87
three thousand cars approximately thirty
five to forty thousand dollars to house

458
00:37:18,88 --> 00:37:22,68
someone in the state of Pennsylvania
correctional facility but these are people

459
00:37:22,69 --> 00:37:27,25
there would have gone to state prison I
only cost about four thousand dollars which

460
00:37:27,26 --> 00:37:31,25
is less than what it cost to run it in
San Francisco it was up five thousand

461
00:37:31,26 --> 00:37:35,19
dollars per involved
individual there and we have

462
00:37:35,20 --> 00:37:40,06
a great partnership with Jeb's they provide
the majority of the services of the

463
00:37:40,07 --> 00:37:42,55
Pennsylvania prison
society and we work with

464
00:37:42,56 --> 00:37:46,85
a lot of great partners to provide the
training to help these individuals and

465
00:37:46,86 --> 00:37:52,77
clearly it has significantly reduced
recidivism of these individuals and made them

466
00:37:52,78 --> 00:37:58,01
productive Philadelphians So the other
benefit there were maybe should really also

467
00:37:58,02 --> 00:38:04,12
focus on you mentioned it is that not just
the economics today but it's then they

468
00:38:04,13 --> 00:38:06,01
don't have a record they can get

469
00:38:06,02 --> 00:38:11,61
a job they can become productive they can
pay taxes and all those benefits spinout

470
00:38:11,62 --> 00:38:14,05
are huge correct because
the most part if you have

471
00:38:14,06 --> 00:38:18,71
a felony conviction counts and Dom It's
almost an economic death sentence you can't

472
00:38:18,72 --> 00:38:23,68
get a job with this gives an apt that
opportunity to not only just not serve

473
00:38:23,69 --> 00:38:25,21
a year in prison but to become

474
00:38:25,45 --> 00:38:30,71
a productive employee able Philadelphians.
And then you might appreciate taxpaying

475
00:38:30,72 --> 00:38:35,10
Philadelphians I do appreciate that how
much money do you think you need for this

476
00:38:35,11 --> 00:38:40,35
program from the city. Well you know I
would love to scale it up if we had two

477
00:38:40,36 --> 00:38:41,42
hundred people in it

478
00:38:41,50 --> 00:38:47,72
a year before thousand dollars per person.
So you need eight hundred thousand that

479
00:38:47,73 --> 00:38:47,88
would be

480
00:38:47,89 --> 00:38:54,10
a great start and I'm also trying to lobby.
Secretary Wetzel to pay for those who

481
00:38:54,11 --> 00:38:54,55
were caught in

482
00:38:54,56 --> 00:39:00,55
a Catch twenty two in that I'm very thankful
to the former commissioner drawer and

483
00:39:00,56 --> 00:39:05,55
the word of the prison they've given us
fifty thousand dollars the last two years

484
00:39:05,56 --> 00:39:09,62
to operate otherwise we could not have
continued it were the catch twenty two and

485
00:39:09,63 --> 00:39:13,88
that these individual yes they would have
gone to state prison but Secretary Wetzel

486
00:39:13,89 --> 00:39:15,61
believes that they will spend

487
00:39:15,97 --> 00:39:22,79
a lot of their time Howell's in county
own state rude prior to being sentenced

488
00:39:23,17 --> 00:39:26,91
that many of them never would have gotten
to stay in prison and then we're being

489
00:39:26,92 --> 00:39:28,72
told by the county that will it's

490
00:39:28,73 --> 00:39:33,02
a state sentence the state should pay for
because we really someone should pay for

491
00:39:33,03 --> 00:39:36,52
it and not only the private
sector I'm very thankful for

492
00:39:36,53 --> 00:39:40,89
a Jerry and Margaret Lynn Fest in the wind
pen foundation but I really believe that

493
00:39:40,90 --> 00:39:44,79
this is something that the municipal
government and the state government should

494
00:39:44,80 --> 00:39:46,47
fund because clearly it makes

495
00:39:46,48 --> 00:39:51,71
a difference for public safety and in the
lives of those young men and women that

496
00:39:51,72 --> 00:39:56,02
are graduates so I don't know them I don't
know the process Mr Chairman but I'd

497
00:39:56,03 --> 00:39:58,53
like to go on the record
that I'd like to see us as

498
00:39:58,54 --> 00:40:04,71
a body on this program the fullest that's
needed it's it's the best investment we

499
00:40:04,72 --> 00:40:10,07
can make and make sure that the district
attorney in this office has the monies to

500
00:40:10,08 --> 00:40:11,65
fund these programs for ever so

501
00:40:11,92 --> 00:40:16,80
a couple to it one last comment I will say
to you I wanted remember this when you

502
00:40:16,81 --> 00:40:23,07
take one idea it's plagiarism when you take
many ideas it's research there we go OK

503
00:40:23,24 --> 00:40:27,95
Anyway thank you thanks very much I lose
much research as possible but I have to

504
00:40:27,96 --> 00:40:34,11
remember that one OK thank you Coutts I
tell some jokes. Thank you Mr Chair and.

505
00:40:35,16 --> 00:40:41,08
Still Good afternoon Mr District
Attorney. Thank you for being

506
00:40:41,09 --> 00:40:47,62
a part of the justice continue. Trickle
part. C.J.'s intricate part of justice in

507
00:40:47,63 --> 00:40:51,08
the city of Philadelphia. You
have a hard job you're not

508
00:40:51,09 --> 00:40:56,65
a social worker I get it your job is to
protect the public and sometimes you know

509
00:40:56,83 --> 00:41:01,43
that it means locking people up so
having said all of it there are

510
00:41:01,44 --> 00:41:06,45
a couple of areas that. I would
like to get your feedback on

511
00:41:06,98 --> 00:41:08,63
a couple of years ago
when the budget I made

512
00:41:08,64 --> 00:41:13,54
a big deal about witness
protection. We fought for and got

513
00:41:13,59 --> 00:41:20,02
a few additional money in the
budget it was. In recent

514
00:41:20,20 --> 00:41:21,67
months we had

515
00:41:21,68 --> 00:41:27,83
a rash of murders and some of those
people were. Related not related

516
00:41:28,37 --> 00:41:33,45
Actually to me but through acquaintance I
knew I mean I got to sit down to dinner

517
00:41:33,99 --> 00:41:35,76
tables up into

518
00:41:35,77 --> 00:41:42,50
a cool parts of what happens really
when these things happen and it was I

519
00:41:42,51 --> 00:41:47,76
openly to save lives she cannot read about
reports and statistics and they are not

520
00:41:48,11 --> 00:41:54,85
as graphic as the pain of the mother so now
having said that one of the issues that

521
00:41:54,86 --> 00:42:01,37
came up was witness protection. And
that the young lady that testified

522
00:42:01,63 --> 00:42:08,06
before can not at Johnson's gun
violence hearing talked about

523
00:42:08,07 --> 00:42:14,09
graphically have. Youth that were
around her son that was murdered.

524
00:42:15,38 --> 00:42:22,06
Were in fear of their life and even at
times where hesitant to come forth as

525
00:42:22,07 --> 00:42:24,19
witnesses because there's not

526
00:42:24,97 --> 00:42:31,50
a note of. Insulation protection
I don't know the proper word

527
00:42:32,16 --> 00:42:34,66
to safeguard people who
have to go right back into

528
00:42:34,67 --> 00:42:41,37
a great community and what her testimony
said that I shall in the same place

529
00:42:42,18 --> 00:42:48,73
the killer of my son's mother shops I worship
two blocks away from the block where

530
00:42:48,87 --> 00:42:55,71
these young. Thunder Cats
congregate so it's not like it's

531
00:42:56,02 --> 00:43:01,81
the giant ocean that they can hide in
ritzy small in the North Philly area

532
00:43:01,97 --> 00:43:05,79
particular which up about two
blocks over one block up and

533
00:43:05,80 --> 00:43:10,34
a lot of kids so haven't
we had what would give me

534
00:43:10,35 --> 00:43:15,14
a synopsis of the state of witness
protection and what to what degree does that

535
00:43:15,15 --> 00:43:21,77
imply it just is and conviction rates and
so forth and then finally what we can

536
00:43:21,78 --> 00:43:28,16
do to help in that regard because with out
witness protection there is no justice

537
00:43:28,57 --> 00:43:31,22
because unless you rely
on cameras only which is

538
00:43:31,23 --> 00:43:36,62
a good thing we've invested in them but it
is not the only thing that is needed for

539
00:43:36,63 --> 00:43:42,24
a salad conviction high not to try to tell
you your business but for me outsiders

540
00:43:42,28 --> 00:43:49,00
observation this is scary. So first I want
to thank you for your continued support

541
00:43:49,01 --> 00:43:53,79
for witness protection and witness relocation
I want to thank you for constantly

542
00:43:53,80 --> 00:43:58,74
setting up meetings between myself my
office and. The housing authority issue

543
00:43:58,79 --> 00:44:03,75
almost two every year to address this I
just want to start off by saying you

544
00:44:03,76 --> 00:44:08,99
started by talking about just the personal.
Context not just the numbers every

545
00:44:08,100 --> 00:44:14,64
morning the first thing I read I get all
my i Phone The statistics of the shootings

546
00:44:14,65 --> 00:44:19,79
in the homicides from overnight but beyond
that you know the most difficult thing

547
00:44:19,80 --> 00:44:21,21
for me about being the D.A.

548
00:44:21,22 --> 00:44:25,77
Is the emotional toll of
meeting the family members of

549
00:44:25,98 --> 00:44:31,83
a victim from the Amtrak derailment meeting
and going to the funeral for the young

550
00:44:31,84 --> 00:44:35,47
girl who was getting her hair braided on
the front steps in South Philadelphia and

551
00:44:35,48 --> 00:44:42,13
she was shot. And having to go to the Temple
University trauma center when Officer

552
00:44:42,14 --> 00:44:44,27
Robert Wilson the third is

553
00:44:44,28 --> 00:44:47,99
a lying there and then declared dead in
front of all the family members that is the

554
00:44:47,100 --> 00:44:54,11
most difficult part is the actual meeting
people and you know many occasions as

555
00:44:54,12 --> 00:44:59,33
you've said you've contacted me personally
about members and constituents of yours

556
00:44:59,34 --> 00:45:03,19
people that you know people from around the
state has contact you because they were

557
00:45:03,20 --> 00:45:09,01
afraid. And almost invariably every time
I've been put you in touch with Jen Selter

558
00:45:09,02 --> 00:45:12,50
who's the chief of my homicide unit so
that we can get the right services as

559
00:45:12,51 --> 00:45:18,17
quickly as possible for those people the
state of witness protection and witness

560
00:45:18,18 --> 00:45:23,90
relocation in Philadelphia is better than
what it had been which is still nowhere

561
00:45:23,91 --> 00:45:29,43
what it could be people think of the movie
My Blue Heaven where you are that you're

562
00:45:29,44 --> 00:45:34,05
a witness to something and then you
get moved off to our zone and you get

563
00:45:34,06 --> 00:45:35,95
a new identity and you get

564
00:45:35,96 --> 00:45:40,59
a middle class lifestyle in our zone or
it's not it's not how it happens and it

565
00:45:40,60 --> 00:45:47,59
often at and often at most
lesser in the mob at most we are

566
00:45:47,60 --> 00:45:48,23
fortunate to have

567
00:45:48,24 --> 00:45:51,70
a great relationship with the top housing
authority and if you're living in

568
00:45:52,01 --> 00:45:58,68
a property in Westwood up you you my
good move somewhere north of. We are

569
00:45:58,69 --> 00:46:00,65
very fortunate however as

570
00:46:00,66 --> 00:46:05,91
a result again of the justice delayed and
I dismiss we saw with the great rate of

571
00:46:05,92 --> 00:46:11,43
cases that were being thrown out. Of felony
court they weren't even being held for

572
00:46:11,44 --> 00:46:16,84
court because of witness intimidation so
that was one of the reasons why I asked

573
00:46:16,85 --> 00:46:20,72
the courts to work with us and to bring all
of the courts not having clear hearings

574
00:46:20,73 --> 00:46:23,89
out of the police district which you think
might be safe but they weren't saying

575
00:46:24,56 --> 00:46:29,90
bring them to the Criminal Justice Center.
And also allowing us to have indicting

576
00:46:29,91 --> 00:46:35,12
grand juries so since about twenty twelve
we have taken about sixteen hundred cases

577
00:46:35,13 --> 00:46:39,91
before the indicting ranjoor cases in which
victims and witnesses came forward and

578
00:46:39,92 --> 00:46:44,54
said they were being threatened they were
being intimidated almost every homicide

579
00:46:44,55 --> 00:46:49,79
case in Philadelphia there's witness
intimidation. So we are now bringing those

580
00:46:49,80 --> 00:46:52,53
cases instead of. Doing

581
00:46:52,54 --> 00:46:55,99
a long term like the normal investigation
upon our hearing we're putting those

582
00:46:56,00 --> 00:47:02,20
cases before the indicting grand jury which
protects the victim or the witness from

583
00:47:02,21 --> 00:47:07,53
having to confront you refer to them.
THUNDERCAT Is that how you were address and

584
00:47:07,54 --> 00:47:12,96
being confronted by the defendant and his
friends in the courtroom having them take

585
00:47:12,97 --> 00:47:19,60
pictures. Just as Renee sorry Judge Renee
Will Hughes was fundamental in creating

586
00:47:19,61 --> 00:47:24,50
a book for the judges to understand how
to identify people that were being

587
00:47:24,51 --> 00:47:29,87
intimidated threatened in the court when
people are taking pictures posting them on

588
00:47:29,88 --> 00:47:36,58
Twitter as as rats on Facebook I'm doing
all of those things has allowed us to hold

589
00:47:36,59 --> 00:47:41,16
more defendants accountable now through the
use of indicting grand jury the funding

590
00:47:41,17 --> 00:47:46,04
that we get for the witness relocation
protection is primarily through the

591
00:47:46,05 --> 00:47:52,40
transportation to and from court often
in some situations when we put people in

592
00:47:52,86 --> 00:47:58,13
hotels in or around the city best that
still problematic often we have people who

593
00:47:58,14 --> 00:48:01,35
we put in these put notes out they invite
friends from the neighborhood to go to

594
00:48:01,36 --> 00:48:05,91
the pool so we try to do as
much as we can but I think

595
00:48:05,95 --> 00:48:10,05
a lot of it is every step of the way and
identifying people are earlier who are

596
00:48:10,06 --> 00:48:16,93
being threatened. Charging people. For
witness intimidation and publicizing

597
00:48:16,94 --> 00:48:20,18
that do all those things I think has made

598
00:48:20,50 --> 00:48:26,67
a difference again additional funds would
allow us to find better ways to keep

599
00:48:26,68 --> 00:48:30,76
these people safe through the
use of county detectives. For

600
00:48:30,77 --> 00:48:36,67
a more meaningful way so I might even
encourage some of the guys one and

601
00:48:37,46 --> 00:48:43,88
colleagues on the public safety
committee to look at our sliver of

602
00:48:43,89 --> 00:48:50,20
Justice to see how we kid
ants protection I again

603
00:48:50,97 --> 00:48:56,13
the brave souls that walk over there
see right and they won't back to that

604
00:48:56,14 --> 00:49:00,51
community ready to go back and we produce
forty six of us and sixty street right in

605
00:49:00,52 --> 00:49:07,41
so that consulate not to mention the set
of elevators that you have to ride up with

606
00:49:08,35 --> 00:49:13,53
someone to defend them and some of us are
in the sheriff's department has done

607
00:49:13,54 --> 00:49:18,02
a good job as sporting people apple
we need to evolve this concept

608
00:49:18,34 --> 00:49:25,17
a witness protection if we could and. I'm
going to come back on one of the next

609
00:49:25,18 --> 00:49:32,17
round to talk about the Fed's wherever he
goes with that as well we issue for my

610
00:49:32,30 --> 00:49:37,71
constituents so I'm going to pass and pass
off to my colleagues but you can team up

611
00:49:38,31 --> 00:49:44,50
OK. For that I'd look like OK thank
you cancelling the chair recognizes

612
00:49:44,51 --> 00:49:49,28
councilwoman Bess. Thank you is

613
00:49:49,29 --> 00:49:55,76
a chairman. Good afternoon at work I'm
well how are you just got back from Penn

614
00:49:55,77 --> 00:50:01,77
State will be having the oh OK. You have
it well this weekend I thought you were

615
00:50:01,78 --> 00:50:06,57
you know doing the box something and for
three it was Saturday draws from only

616
00:50:06,58 --> 00:50:10,99
Sunday but been Sunday evening through
Tuesday I was at leadership training for the

617
00:50:10,100 --> 00:50:16,68
district. Association State College
Pennsylvania OK. Well many people listen I go

618
00:50:16,69 --> 00:50:23,61
way back to our days they can stay
together from Temple University. But we

619
00:50:23,99 --> 00:50:24,36
have had

620
00:50:24,37 --> 00:50:30,66
a long history and I think that overall
I do want to give you accolades and.

621
00:50:31,82 --> 00:50:37,11
You know what recognize the work that you
have done as the district attorney I can

622
00:50:37,12 --> 00:50:42,82
only tell you that the staff of the D.A.'s
office has been extremely professional

623
00:50:43,52 --> 00:50:50,12
in my dealings with it's an outstanding
staff overall and I have you know I have my

624
00:50:50,13 --> 00:50:52,94
own incident where I was rear ended by

625
00:50:52,95 --> 00:50:55,35
a you know alleged drunk
driver went through

626
00:50:55,36 --> 00:51:01,38
a process and I have to say the D.A.'s
office handle it they handled it with such

627
00:51:01,42 --> 00:51:06,63
a level of professionalism. You know
they were calling me way more than I was

628
00:51:06,64 --> 00:51:10,88
calling them to give me updated information
and I really appreciated it and I just

629
00:51:10,89 --> 00:51:13,70
wanted to let you know that if you're on
the record about that because I think it's

630
00:51:13,71 --> 00:51:17,52
important to recognize folks when when
they're doing the right things and when

631
00:51:17,53 --> 00:51:22,83
they're doing good things. But there is
something else that I want to mention to

632
00:51:22,84 --> 00:51:23,59
you know that we've had

633
00:51:23,60 --> 00:51:29,18
a number of conversations about
this which is the number of.

634
00:51:30,56 --> 00:51:36,38
Number but three employees in particular.
Who by the way same Safina can stand so

635
00:51:36,39 --> 00:51:43,37
and Blessington who have had some
issues before and scandal and

636
00:51:43,38 --> 00:51:46,90
we've talked about this we talked about
this last fall we talked about it last

637
00:51:46,91 --> 00:51:50,81
winter I believe we talked about it earlier
this year and here we are in the spring

638
00:51:50,82 --> 00:51:53,14
talking about it again and it's just

639
00:51:53,15 --> 00:51:55,08
a little bit frustrating
actually now Will been

640
00:51:55,09 --> 00:51:59,23
a whole lot frustrating that we still have
to continue to have these conversations

641
00:51:59,52 --> 00:52:01,13
and it puts me in

642
00:52:01,14 --> 00:52:07,36
a mindset that no matter how much great
work you do and you do great work no matter

643
00:52:07,37 --> 00:52:14,08
how much good work you do it is diminished.
If we continue to employ people who

644
00:52:14,09 --> 00:52:20,98
have received some cases circulated racists
pornographic and homophobic e-mails

645
00:52:21,38 --> 00:52:25,94
and I think that. You know in twenty sixteen
I don't even think we should be having

646
00:52:25,95 --> 00:52:30,56
this conversation I think it's outrageous
that we're still here still having these

647
00:52:30,57 --> 00:52:37,37
kinds of conversations that started
really. With your release statement

648
00:52:38,03 --> 00:52:44,70
once the finally before Labor Day
for twenty three pm. You released

649
00:52:44,71 --> 00:52:49,15
a statement saying that these employee
employees were going to receive sensitivity

650
00:52:49,16 --> 00:52:56,01
training. Did nothing happen. You
know we continue to press along

651
00:52:56,02 --> 00:52:58,20
with now National
Organization of Women and

652
00:52:58,21 --> 00:53:04,68
a number of other women's groups and then
we were told in late November that they

653
00:53:04,69 --> 00:53:07,34
had received sensitivity training so

654
00:53:07,35 --> 00:53:11,47
a couple of months went by before anything
was done and as I understand it the

655
00:53:11,48 --> 00:53:15,12
sensitivity training
wasn't even sought until

656
00:53:15,50 --> 00:53:22,16
a week prior to it actually occurring.
And then after that there was still.

657
00:53:23,67 --> 00:53:29,87
You know some delays and then. Really
December we were made aware. Of the

658
00:53:29,88 --> 00:53:36,24
transferred employees were. Transferred
to different units and so I wanted to get

659
00:53:36,25 --> 00:53:42,07
an update from you because I was told last
conversation I had with your office I

660
00:53:42,08 --> 00:53:45,90
was told that there were going to be some
additional changes and requested the

661
00:53:45,91 --> 00:53:50,20
employment status of those employees and
wanted to find out what has happened so as

662
00:53:50,21 --> 00:53:55,05
I understand it Frank seen there was transfer
from Special Investigations to civil

663
00:53:55,06 --> 00:53:56,67
litigation as

664
00:53:56,68 --> 00:54:02,02
a fine Special Investigations to appeals
and Blessington from insurance far too

665
00:54:02,62 --> 00:54:07,78
post conviction something and I just
wanted to see if those employees are still

666
00:54:07,79 --> 00:54:13,43
with the district attorney's office yes
they are OK. And they're still in those

667
00:54:13,44 --> 00:54:19,88
units that they were transfer to yes so
you have another question and I mean or

668
00:54:19,89 --> 00:54:26,86
whatever you know expanding your
Certainly So I want to say that you

669
00:54:26,87 --> 00:54:32,79
know I'm not here to defend the practices
at Governor of course of the attorney

670
00:54:32,80 --> 00:54:38,10
general's office or the atmosphere or the
tenor of the tone the culture of that

671
00:54:38,11 --> 00:54:44,39
office that allow people to do what was
going on at that time I think it is your

672
00:54:44,40 --> 00:54:48,19
right you have every reason to be upset
rational and reasonable people should

673
00:54:48,20 --> 00:54:54,18
expect more from civil
employees but as the

674
00:54:54,69 --> 00:54:55,37
C.E.O.

675
00:54:55,38 --> 00:54:59,97
Of the thought just return his office I
had to ascertain what my employees did if

676
00:54:59,98 --> 00:55:03,20
they did anything while they were in the
employ of the city of Philadelphia which

677
00:55:03,21 --> 00:55:09,76
they had not to these individuals were
merely the passive recipients of ignorant

678
00:55:09,77 --> 00:55:13,38
and offensive emails five years prior
when they had worked at another place of

679
00:55:13,39 --> 00:55:17,34
employment and so my position after

680
00:55:17,35 --> 00:55:22,22
a very lengthy and I think exhaustive
internal investigation was that it can't be

681
00:55:22,23 --> 00:55:28,45
the standard that we fire employees for
having received ignorant and repulsive

682
00:55:28,46 --> 00:55:33,46
e-mails years prior and I We looked at
the behavior of them and our office if

683
00:55:33,47 --> 00:55:39,24
they'd done anything similar which they had
not and so but you're right I made the

684
00:55:39,39 --> 00:55:45,93
initial decision and then after speaking
with you after. Reviewing and listening to

685
00:55:46,13 --> 00:55:51,54
the concerns of former councilman task
go in and others and speaking to other

686
00:55:51,55 --> 00:55:55,66
members of council I said you know there's
something to what they're saying and

687
00:55:55,67 --> 00:55:59,24
there are their feelings and we need
to do a little bit more and so we did

688
00:55:59,25 --> 00:56:02,28
a little bit more and I really I came out
then I said you know we need to ask the

689
00:56:02,29 --> 00:56:08,09
attorney general because the standard
again we have two very respected members

690
00:56:08,10 --> 00:56:13,58
abaya Supreme Court who were merely passed.
Recipients of the same exact e-mails

691
00:56:13,71 --> 00:56:19,19
were not asking them only by asking them
to step down turny general herself her

692
00:56:19,20 --> 00:56:22,06
sister were also recipients of the same

693
00:56:22,07 --> 00:56:26,75
a new terminal sister for these things so
again I have to see what's in the best

694
00:56:26,76 --> 00:56:31,68
interest of our Office of the people these
are three individuals that definitely

695
00:56:31,69 --> 00:56:37,51
made an error in judgment but have had
tremendous careers as public servants have

696
00:56:37,52 --> 00:56:42,43
a tremendous body of experience and wealth
of knowledge that we just can't get by

697
00:56:42,44 --> 00:56:44,98
jettisoning them off and
just hiring somebody at

698
00:56:44,99 --> 00:56:50,02
a law school so I understand how you feel
and I feel in many ways the same but as

699
00:56:50,03 --> 00:56:55,14
the district attorney I have to evaluate
the facts and be the individuals not just

700
00:56:55,15 --> 00:57:00,02
something that the street is hand not on
the corner and really think about what is

701
00:57:00,03 --> 00:57:05,19
going on who are these people what's the
best thing for them me to do for them and

702
00:57:05,20 --> 00:57:07,24
public safety in the city and as

703
00:57:07,25 --> 00:57:10,81
a result of all that I came out later my
SO I demanded that the attorney general

704
00:57:10,82 --> 00:57:17,40
release all ten thousand e-mails not just
you know twenty one e-mails that these

705
00:57:17,41 --> 00:57:22,33
three guys got and the two of them are
merely passive recipients but let me just

706
00:57:22,34 --> 00:57:22,43
say

707
00:57:22,44 --> 00:57:27,52
a couple things so the first the stat you
know for me this is really this has nothing

708
00:57:27,53 --> 00:57:30,01
to do about with Kathleen
King you know quite

709
00:57:30,02 --> 00:57:34,51
a bit in the street any of these other
outside players this is really about these

710
00:57:34,52 --> 00:57:37,93
three individuals who work in the
district attorney's office right now with

711
00:57:37,97 --> 00:57:42,35
taxpayer dollars and the fact that some
of the e-mails that were circulated

712
00:57:42,36 --> 00:57:49,34
included. You know I have he said
African-American woman even in five chicken you

713
00:57:49,35 --> 00:57:51,08
know and of course you know what

714
00:57:51,15 --> 00:57:57,55
a caption beneath it that was demeaning
integrating three African-American young

715
00:57:57,56 --> 00:58:03,30
black women. Related to as or
referred to as the new Three Stooges.

716
00:58:04,83 --> 00:58:08,62
And of course as the Hot Ghetto Mess and
then there's the one with the person

717
00:58:08,63 --> 00:58:09,09
rather with

718
00:58:09,10 --> 00:58:15,82
a bucket of fried chicken because you
know we are. Chicken I guess. So but you

719
00:58:15,83 --> 00:58:19,86
understand what I'm saying I'm offended
by these e-mails and so somebody sends me

720
00:58:19,87 --> 00:58:24,11
something that I'm offended by I will
e-mail them back and say simply this in

721
00:58:24,12 --> 00:58:29,46
a. Measure resign of the Senate to you did
they did they stop the e-mails they did

722
00:58:29,47 --> 00:58:34,78
not stop the e-mails did that and they say
they were set up to make this in they

723
00:58:34,79 --> 00:58:35,20
stand in

724
00:58:35,21 --> 00:58:39,04
a position where they have to make judgments
they make judgments on whether cases

725
00:58:39,05 --> 00:58:44,04
are going to try out they make decisions
or people spates every single day in those

726
00:58:44,05 --> 00:58:48,24
previous positions that when the new
positions do they make the same judgments so

727
00:58:48,25 --> 00:58:54,41
now Frank Farina is in our civil litigation
unit so he helps represent the district

728
00:58:54,42 --> 00:58:58,77
attorney's office when people have seen fit
to sue the office or to make Freedom of

729
00:58:58,78 --> 00:59:03,39
Information Act request. He had been in
charge of the criminal division that the

730
00:59:03,40 --> 00:59:05,65
attorney general's office so this is

731
00:59:05,66 --> 00:59:10,73
a significantly different responsibility.
Mr Christan to have been the chief of our

732
00:59:10,74 --> 00:59:14,88
special investigations unit
handling police involved shootings

733
00:59:15,19 --> 00:59:20,74
a long term investigation so him he's now
an appeals unit significant difference

734
00:59:20,81 --> 00:59:25,19
different responsibility but not handling
an open criminal cases but I spoke with

735
00:59:25,20 --> 00:59:30,63
you you were concerned about these
people listening and having impact over.

736
00:59:32,10 --> 00:59:36,32
Justice for people who have open cases for
their liberty so I listened to you and I

737
00:59:36,33 --> 00:59:40,90
made changes after having spoken with
you and other members of counsel and Mr

738
00:59:40,91 --> 00:59:45,89
Blessington is in our post conviction
relief act unit which is also in our lot of

739
00:59:45,90 --> 00:59:50,64
vision just reviewing cases in which
people have made claims after they've been

740
00:59:50,65 --> 00:59:56,32
convicted and Halley in those cases in
appellate court and post conviction court so

741
00:59:56,69 --> 01:00:01,31
I think that there are responsibilities
I listen to you and other members of

742
01:00:01,32 --> 01:00:06,95
counsel and I think I acted accordingly
at the same time I stand by my position

743
01:00:07,45 --> 01:00:11,97
that today it cannot be the standard it
will not be the standard in my office that

744
01:00:12,21 --> 01:00:18,31
I will terminate people for being recipients
of e-mails five years prior when their

745
01:00:18,35 --> 01:00:22,38
work experience in the district attorney's
office has been nothing but exemplary.

746
01:00:24,25 --> 01:00:30,63
OK I hear what you're saying I disagree
much disagree I think that these e-mails

747
01:00:31,45 --> 01:00:36,48
are just you know I don't know how many
people have seen them but to see them to

748
01:00:36,49 --> 01:00:40,08
talk about them is one thing to see them
as something completely different and I

749
01:00:40,09 --> 01:00:45,27
have to admit before when I heard about the
emails you know I just thought I would

750
01:00:45,28 --> 01:00:50,71
just possibly you know. Something that's
not so nice to look at or you know

751
01:00:50,72 --> 01:00:56,25
whatever but when I actually saw it was
circulated by these legal professionals it

752
01:00:56,26 --> 01:01:01,48
was beyond offensive and I did expect that
my district attorney would do something

753
01:01:01,69 --> 01:01:08,01
about it and that it wouldn't require
meetings press conferences all of these

754
01:01:08,02 --> 01:01:10,53
conversations over and over
again fresh reports in

755
01:01:10,54 --> 01:01:16,75
a newspaper I did not think it will require
that it has required to get any sort of

756
01:01:16,76 --> 01:01:21,79
action whatsoever because as I mentioned
you said on the Friday before Labor Day

757
01:01:21,80 --> 01:01:25,65
twenty fifteen at four thirty pm
which makes it appear that it's

758
01:01:25,66 --> 01:01:30,15
a story day one could think nobody paying
attention nobody's looking right now

759
01:01:30,42 --> 01:01:33,96
everybody is off to the sure do or whatever
they're doing for the Labor Day holiday

760
01:01:34,69 --> 01:01:40,28
and so at that point it says that when they
receive sensitivity training. Over two

761
01:01:40,29 --> 01:01:43,51
months later they receive that
training and that's only because of

762
01:01:43,52 --> 01:01:45,93
a press conference I believe
that's only because of

763
01:01:45,94 --> 01:01:51,29
a press conference that we had the week
before which we called on their resignation

764
01:01:51,30 --> 01:01:55,41
because nothing had been done thank you no
we do so again we can agree to disagree

765
01:01:55,42 --> 01:02:02,37
on this matter I still. Appreciate you
allowing members of my staff to work

766
01:02:02,38 --> 01:02:06,32
in your office for our community action
center in your office I think it's

767
01:02:06,33 --> 01:02:07,67
a tremendous work and

768
01:02:07,68 --> 01:02:13,28
a collaboration between us as we begin the
press conference that press conference

769
01:02:13,29 --> 01:02:17,17
press release actually was based upon
when the attorney general had released

770
01:02:17,18 --> 01:02:18,80
information I conducted

771
01:02:18,81 --> 01:02:23,01
a very thorough investigation Oh yeah I
think she really said this we can. That's

772
01:02:23,02 --> 01:02:25,23
a very thorough review of as

773
01:02:25,24 --> 01:02:32,11
a documents I take. That this was really
let me say this is the reason. I say

774
01:02:32,38 --> 01:02:33,01
this conference on

775
01:02:33,02 --> 01:02:36,95
a Monday people are upset that I had
on that Monday because if we did

776
01:02:36,96 --> 01:02:42,80
a bad day because they won the national
to get the national championship I was

777
01:02:42,81 --> 01:02:48,47
trying to you know dump it is going to do
with their always be second guessing I

778
01:02:48,48 --> 01:02:53,45
understand that but again would have to
agree to disagree on how we handled this

779
01:02:53,46 --> 01:02:58,71
matter I believe again yes the e-mails
themselves were offensive but the question

780
01:02:58,72 --> 01:03:03,80
for me was what to do with these three
employees that had. Were part of

781
01:03:03,81 --> 01:03:07,56
a culture at the attorney general's
office where they were told to use their

782
01:03:07,57 --> 01:03:13,06
government e-mails for personal e-mail use
where there were no policies against the

783
01:03:13,07 --> 01:03:18,73
use of this type of stuff unlike And so if
you already have it you know use policy

784
01:03:18,74 --> 01:03:23,26
where people are allowed to use these
e-mails for personal sharing of information

785
01:03:23,27 --> 01:03:27,61
personal e-mails. Those things
you know I think that we had

786
01:03:27,62 --> 01:03:33,93
a very thorough process and I don't think
that terminating these career prosecutors

787
01:03:34,12 --> 01:03:37,50
for what they did while they were in the
attorney general's office when their

788
01:03:37,51 --> 01:03:42,49
behavior was the sharing of these offensive
e-mails was appropriate Mr Chairman.

789
01:03:43,86 --> 01:03:49,84
Thank you have here on our way over so
thank you for your character Mrs Centum

790
01:03:49,85 --> 01:03:56,82
agree. A chairman. To study waves I want

791
01:03:56,83 --> 01:04:03,17
to follow up on some questions for
gardening The choice is yours and it is

792
01:04:03,18 --> 01:04:09,95
a conversation this afternoon. Regarding
that as well as the MacArthur Grant and

793
01:04:10,64 --> 01:04:15,20
Councilman talk about some additional
funding for that program but I also

794
01:04:15,21 --> 01:04:18,77
understand that through the MacArthur grant
that may be funding for that program as

795
01:04:18,78 --> 01:04:23,42
well so can you maybe provide more mation
based on your understanding of what

796
01:04:23,43 --> 01:04:28,63
dollars may be coming to the office for
recidivism in the choice is yours based

797
01:04:28,64 --> 01:04:35,33
McArthur great so again. It was meant
to be Justice advisory board all the

798
01:04:35,34 --> 01:04:38,66
partners and for the if you get through
the A word of the MacArthur Foundation is

799
01:04:38,67 --> 01:04:42,40
phenomenal the three point four million
dollars However as I said earlier said well

800
01:04:42,41 --> 01:04:46,75
you know allowing air when you were to
look at public safety is funding for the

801
01:04:46,76 --> 01:04:48,98
C.F.L. About the public safety it's been

802
01:04:48,99 --> 01:04:55,94
a quarter of the city's budget. Of wood
squad by three billion dollars. But no

803
01:04:56,15 --> 01:05:01,98
none of the money from MacArthur Foundation
is going towards the choice is yours

804
01:05:01,99 --> 01:05:07,56
and I'm very upset about that but they
say the goal of this grant really is to

805
01:05:07,57 --> 01:05:14,32
reduce the county prison population
and the people at the last

806
01:05:14,33 --> 01:05:21,19
minute. Believe that these are individuals
that should be in state prison and so as

807
01:05:21,20 --> 01:05:25,59
a result of that additional funds were
defunded that we were going to get from

808
01:05:25,60 --> 01:05:31,61
MacArthur I am thankful to say though that
the Pennsylvania commission on Crime and

809
01:05:31,62 --> 01:05:37,23
Delinquency which is chaired by McGovern
the county commission chaired Josh has

810
01:05:37,41 --> 01:05:42,12
granted us two hundred thousand dollars for
the choice is yours we're very thankful

811
01:05:42,13 --> 01:05:48,14
for that I'm very thankful again for
former commissioner and the new president

812
01:05:48,15 --> 01:05:52,59
commissioner was just she was just sworn
in. For the fifty thousand dollars that

813
01:05:52,60 --> 01:05:55,63
they have given us but this
is a drop in the bucket for

814
01:05:55,64 --> 01:05:58,70
a program that if expanded would take

815
01:05:58,71 --> 01:06:05,33
a lot of cases out of the quote house
would save the taxpayers money and most

816
01:06:05,34 --> 01:06:11,88
importantly would promote public safety by
reducing recidivism reducing. Continued

817
01:06:12,31 --> 01:06:18,70
victimization. Thank You Notes one thank
you up to spending on hearings every head

818
01:06:19,14 --> 01:06:25,82
earlier. This month why is it less month
in reference to autism not somewhere in

819
01:06:25,83 --> 01:06:30,55
this as well as your stepping about in the
social impact of the areas that we had

820
01:06:31,02 --> 01:06:35,13
trying to identify this no funding for the
choice is yours thank you there's been

821
01:06:35,14 --> 01:06:40,98
some conversation earlier in the year
during the budget process for God insurance

822
01:06:41,66 --> 01:06:48,16
and the conversation back and forth
during the hearings that Councilman

823
01:06:48,17 --> 01:06:52,89
Johnson account when Jones said regarding
these gun violence and want to get some

824
01:06:52,90 --> 01:06:57,90
perspective from you regarding the truancy
issue I've seen some communications back

825
01:06:57,91 --> 01:07:01,96
and forth I want to get some perspective
from your reference to the initiatives

826
01:07:01,97 --> 01:07:06,45
that you want to undertake work on choices
certainly And again I want to start off

827
01:07:06,59 --> 01:07:11,75
by saying I'm of the biggest supporters
but Dr Height after I put my glasses on I

828
01:07:11,76 --> 01:07:16,40
walk down the street people confuse me for
Dr Height and so I want to stop I think

829
01:07:16,41 --> 01:07:21,81
and I think. A big city in North these
with infrastructure problems like we have

830
01:07:21,82 --> 01:07:25,92
some of the toughest jobs in the second
most difficult jobs I would assume and I'm

831
01:07:25,93 --> 01:07:29,22
perceived as being a superintendent
of a school district in

832
01:07:29,23 --> 01:07:34,48
a large work eastern city like I was with
the family tax structure that we have in

833
01:07:35,14 --> 01:07:39,67
the third of our population living at or
below the national popular vote so we were

834
01:07:39,68 --> 01:07:46,15
not in any way trying to be combative you
know with the crowd and his staff but the

835
01:07:46,16 --> 01:07:52,88
issue is councilman that. I was to
cystic Sen We were being told by

836
01:07:52,89 --> 01:07:55,33
documentary doc that Ackerman was

837
01:07:55,34 --> 01:08:00,10
a close to fifty percent of the public
school students in Philadelphia were

838
01:08:00,11 --> 01:08:05,71
graduating. And we do know from
our statistics that if you have

839
01:08:05,72 --> 01:08:09,87
a high school dropout you're about eight
times more likely to go to state prison

840
01:08:10,72 --> 01:08:14,19
and tragically councilman
twenty times more likely to be

841
01:08:14,20 --> 01:08:20,89
a homicide victim. So I believe that
we have to do every we can to reduce

842
01:08:20,90 --> 01:08:26,87
troops see. Again. Pre-K.

843
01:08:26,99 --> 01:08:30,75
Is by the greatest thing we can do to
prevent crime but do whatever we can after

844
01:08:30,76 --> 01:08:37,69
that to reduce truancy to keep the city
safe and so I believe with the WE CAN I DO

845
01:08:37,70 --> 01:08:39,81
know that there's

846
01:08:39,82 --> 01:08:46,82
a pattern of Human Services and we
quit work right. Provide out of

847
01:08:47,06 --> 01:08:51,36
tremendous and school district provide
great services for families to reduce

848
01:08:51,37 --> 01:08:57,79
truancy better counseling Don we do I do
plagiarism because research and what I

849
01:08:57,80 --> 01:09:03,10
found in San Francisco were Dr Ackerman
had been the superintendent so I became

850
01:09:03,11 --> 01:09:04,99
a De Lay Doc Ackerman was

851
01:09:05,00 --> 01:09:09,99
a superintendent when she was the
superintendent of the Unified school system in

852
01:09:10,00 --> 01:09:13,22
San Francisco. Introducing true A-C.

853
01:09:13,43 --> 01:09:19,30
Was come out of this effort of small
crime so I traveled to San Francisco

854
01:09:20,19 --> 01:09:21,86
prior to becoming the D.A.

855
01:09:22,15 --> 01:09:28,30
To meet with us and her staff to see what
could we do to replicate this achievement

856
01:09:28,57 --> 01:09:32,98
in reducing truancy in San Francisco and
the many great things we're doing here but

857
01:09:32,99 --> 01:09:37,16
one thing that they did there the Dr Ackerman
one best to do here was what they did

858
01:09:37,17 --> 01:09:40,47
in San Francisco was what I hope
we can do here and for that as

859
01:09:40,48 --> 01:09:46,97
a last step. After everything else has
failed at the child has remained quietly

860
01:09:46,98 --> 01:09:53,98
truant for two years. Have the school
give us the name of the child the address

861
01:09:53,99 --> 01:09:59,65
of the Guardian and the name of the
Guardian for us to them for. Today.

862
01:10:01,38 --> 01:10:06,45
You might not know it but Derek is
chronically truant please contact Principal

863
01:10:06,46 --> 01:10:12,99
Skinner within two weeks. Fear to do
so or result in further consequences

864
01:10:13,66 --> 01:10:14,83
and there is and where they found

865
01:10:14,84 --> 01:10:17,94
a second sister about ninety five percent
of the people that got that letter

866
01:10:18,04 --> 01:10:18,70
contacted

867
01:10:18,71 --> 01:10:24,63
a principal so the school could then
provide school based community based court

868
01:10:24,64 --> 01:10:31,49
based. Children Youth Services based
services because when the elementary

869
01:10:31,50 --> 01:10:37,57
school student is chronically truant It's
not that first graders decide decided to

870
01:10:37,58 --> 01:10:39,73
stay home and stay for ten days at

871
01:10:39,74 --> 01:10:45,17
a time there's some sort of dysfunction in
the house or that has to be addressed to

872
01:10:45,30 --> 01:10:46,89
the parent is using that child as

873
01:10:46,90 --> 01:10:51,27
a good thing for younger siblings there
could be other issues in the home that

874
01:10:51,28 --> 01:10:54,91
could be abuse there could be some sort of
addiction problem we have to get to the

875
01:10:54,92 --> 01:11:00,81
root cause of the problem My guess is not
to create an entire week at the prison at

876
01:11:00,82 --> 01:11:03,77
the guidelines of kids who are
chronically truant but to be

877
01:11:03,78 --> 01:11:09,11
a parent or with the school district for
them to use us as they have it pay you can

878
01:11:09,12 --> 01:11:13,71
get at that goes through another letter.
And you do not respond to Principal

879
01:11:13,72 --> 01:11:18,66
Skinner. You have ten days from today still
to respond to district attorney Debbie

880
01:11:18,67 --> 01:11:24,82
just returned from her is about to NOT
addition. Do So result in further action and

881
01:11:24,83 --> 01:11:27,87
that's only if there is a
good to do that will create

882
01:11:27,88 --> 01:11:33,11
a. Problem sat in court in
family court where there is

883
01:11:33,12 --> 01:11:38,86
a. Most egregious cases of chronic Tracy
for elementary age school students.

884
01:11:42,70 --> 01:11:46,06
With endangering the welfare of a
child that would bring in front of

885
01:11:46,07 --> 01:11:51,62
a specific judge designated by family
court crews here. Those cases. And then

886
01:11:51,63 --> 01:11:55,72
provide them with services and if the child
then came off the rails as having been

887
01:11:55,73 --> 01:12:00,80
chronically truant again to expunge their
record so the good that is to this.

888
01:12:03,11 --> 01:12:07,78
For the school district to use to reduce
truancy so I will be there with them in

889
01:12:07,79 --> 01:12:12,84
this and we have created this partnership
and collaboration with many charter

890
01:12:12,85 --> 01:12:18,36
schools and it's been very successful there
the values of my discipline Bill Quick

891
01:12:18,37 --> 01:12:24,32
both the colloquy between I'm your
office and the school district it was

892
01:12:24,41 --> 01:12:25,45
a minus ten a position

893
01:12:25,46 --> 01:12:29,90
a school district that they're not allowed
by law provide information to you and

894
01:12:29,91 --> 01:12:34,53
that they would need I guess for lack of
better work readily pressure this or this

895
01:12:34,54 --> 01:12:39,14
or to provide information from your
perspective that correct or not and so I

896
01:12:39,15 --> 01:12:44,58
provided the very next day I walked over
to Councilman cannot Johnson's office

897
01:12:44,62 --> 01:12:49,27
a copy of what they cited which is
focus. And I took them but since I'm

898
01:12:49,28 --> 01:12:54,49
a state secret I have an educational.
Rights your doctor just can't give out

899
01:12:54,50 --> 01:12:57,83
information and I wouldn't
want the school just

900
01:12:57,84 --> 01:13:01,45
a random we give out. Information about

901
01:13:01,46 --> 01:13:08,09
a child's health records the child's.
Is there any issues that you know

902
01:13:08,33 --> 01:13:11,74
there's a real profile reason
for the genesis of for

903
01:13:11,88 --> 01:13:18,53
a. House for and between
the school district

904
01:13:18,78 --> 01:13:25,66
and force me and so we want them to follow
for as they do in San Francisco and

905
01:13:25,67 --> 01:13:30,32
I'm disappointed he is in California around
the country just to give us the limited

906
01:13:30,55 --> 01:13:35,60
information out of the kids grow we get
the grades of the kids that we. See court

907
01:13:36,23 --> 01:13:37,94
but we just want to go for these kids in

908
01:13:37,95 --> 01:13:43,59
a chronically truant the name of the
individual the God and address so we can send

909
01:13:43,60 --> 01:13:44,76
the responsible party

910
01:13:44,77 --> 01:13:49,99
a letter but George Mosey who's my first
assistant was for years. Twelve years the

911
01:13:49,100 --> 01:13:52,78
deputy. Drew Nobby's I asked him to give

912
01:13:52,79 --> 01:13:59,70
a little more detail to that. So to
speak George Burns the need for system.

913
01:14:00,72 --> 01:14:04,91
So much disagreement between us in the
school district about the interpretation of

914
01:14:05,88 --> 01:14:08,70
my Remove allows them to appoint

915
01:14:08,75 --> 01:14:13,07
a law enforcement entity
and that easily could be

916
01:14:13,37 --> 01:14:19,36
a school district police the school district
police would then have the ability to

917
01:14:19,37 --> 01:14:25,91
share information. With another
enforcement entered and that requires the

918
01:14:25,92 --> 01:14:27,05
development of

919
01:14:27,06 --> 01:14:32,42
a memorandum of understanding and them oh
you know if the school district wanted to

920
01:14:32,43 --> 01:14:38,55
share with us what amounts to criminal
justice and for NATION which is what transom

921
01:14:38,56 --> 01:14:43,81
is true it says a summary offense
they could easily accomplished within

922
01:14:43,82 --> 01:14:50,25
a mile you. I'm sorry.
For something I said.

923
01:14:52,82 --> 01:14:56,94
Was coming to days off for the church but
I was corrected that somebody is going to

924
01:14:56,95 --> 01:15:02,66
jabs for their support.
Staff exact amount.

925
01:15:05,39 --> 01:15:11,77
Of questions. Thank you Karen.
State for the record before we

926
01:15:12,30 --> 01:15:14,52
proceed with the questioning
it seems like there's

927
01:15:14,78 --> 01:15:21,41
a lot more members in the queue. Other
departments are here for their budget

928
01:15:21,42 --> 01:15:24,62
testimony we will be taking

929
01:15:24,63 --> 01:15:31,27
a short recess and following questioning.
Testimony here with the district

930
01:15:31,28 --> 01:15:36,75
attorney's office so with that being said
Chair recognizes councilman Councilwoman

931
01:15:36,76 --> 01:15:43,26
good. Afternoon for your
district attorney well it's

932
01:15:43,27 --> 01:15:47,09
a pleasure and you know what we're looking
forward to working closely with you is

933
01:15:47,41 --> 01:15:52,89
negotiate out some of these areas especially
around to see that there's lots of

934
01:15:53,11 --> 01:15:54,63
issues that need to be worked out

935
01:15:54,64 --> 01:16:01,58
a lot of concerns and my hope
really is. We are wants to see

936
01:16:01,59 --> 01:16:08,12
Seriously it is very important
that it's not. Children into

937
01:16:08,13 --> 01:16:12,64
a criminal system too quickly too fast
without understanding that they're what's

938
01:16:12,65 --> 01:16:16,53
going on and I'm sure you and I will have
lots of discussions about that maybe for

939
01:16:16,54 --> 01:16:22,46
a Before I get into some of the
questions I did want to say I wanted to

940
01:16:22,97 --> 01:16:28,39
reiterate what councilwoman bass was talking
about in terms of concerns the three

941
01:16:28,40 --> 01:16:35,27
staff members and. You know I.
Understand that your resolution on this

942
01:16:35,28 --> 01:16:42,10
issue is is what it is but I really
hope that your. Office does not

943
01:16:42,14 --> 01:16:48,30
excuse behaviors that are. Deemed
offensive and shocking and

944
01:16:48,85 --> 01:16:55,40
off the charts in terms of what was
what was disseminated and received on

945
01:16:55,41 --> 01:17:00,10
official e-mail because there was no policy
on it I don't think that's an excuse I

946
01:17:00,11 --> 01:17:06,00
think professional individuals we understand
when we're looking and viewing things

947
01:17:06,39 --> 01:17:10,70
you know they are not personally offensive
to tell someone they have some civility

948
01:17:10,71 --> 01:17:16,05
is that every individual
who. You know operates in

949
01:17:16,06 --> 01:17:20,63
a functional society frankly and takes their
job very seriously and at the heart of

950
01:17:20,64 --> 01:17:22,19
it is the need for

951
01:17:22,31 --> 01:17:28,44
a justice system that's rooted in trust
and trust in our and our prosecutors to

952
01:17:28,45 --> 01:17:34,05
exercise strong judgments on issues when
many women and people of color have often

953
01:17:34,06 --> 01:17:40,35
felt that they cannot be heard or viewed
on on an equal footing whether that is not

954
01:17:40,36 --> 01:17:45,81
something you obviously in your position
or why did you eat your employees in that

955
01:17:45,82 --> 01:17:51,14
way but for many in the public they will
not know that and it is so important that

956
01:17:51,56 --> 01:17:57,57
our. Public Servants be held to the highest
standard and that respect and my hope

957
01:17:57,58 --> 01:18:00,34
would be that. It's not just

958
01:18:00,35 --> 01:18:06,36
a matter of sensitivity training for
individuals on an issue that's you know those

959
01:18:06,37 --> 01:18:13,06
things were just too shocking to even imagine
that sensitivity training was was the

960
01:18:13,07 --> 01:18:18,24
issue that was it's more that we need to
know that there are proactive policies in

961
01:18:18,25 --> 01:18:24,94
place from the D.A.'s office that
proactively refuse issues to sexist racist.

962
01:18:26,08 --> 01:18:32,90
Homophobic other types the things that
ensure that this does not happen that you

963
01:18:32,91 --> 01:18:38,15
are vigilant and proactive about it and
that these are policies that you clearly

964
01:18:38,16 --> 01:18:43,84
establish with me thank you. To you to
clarify that again councilman So thank you

965
01:18:43,85 --> 01:18:49,28
and I think it's very. You're correct and
we are extremely vigilant at the district

966
01:18:49,29 --> 01:18:54,58
attorney's office to ensure that that type
of behavior does not occur in our office

967
01:18:54,59 --> 01:19:00,42
workplace or by employees through their
social media when they're off duty we have

968
01:19:00,43 --> 01:19:06,94
very very strict policies in our office
we have very we have leadership training

969
01:19:06,95 --> 01:19:12,72
for all of our supervisors monthly we talk
about these issues every month and we

970
01:19:12,73 --> 01:19:18,15
have very very strict policies so I think
it's appropriate because many readers of

971
01:19:18,16 --> 01:19:23,93
the newspapers or blogs or people that
might be watching this on television home

972
01:19:23,94 --> 01:19:27,85
today might think that these employees
did it while they were working for the

973
01:19:27,86 --> 01:19:31,90
district attorney's office and that we
did not have policies about these issues

974
01:19:32,38 --> 01:19:36,37
that is not the case they were employees
of the attorney general's office under

975
01:19:36,38 --> 01:19:40,50
Governor Corbett when he was the attorney
general and they lacked the oversight

976
01:19:40,77 --> 01:19:41,31
they had

977
01:19:41,32 --> 01:19:46,93
a poor culture that allowed these types
of things to happen so I think it's very

978
01:19:46,94 --> 01:19:52,02
very important to recognize that this is
not something that's happened under my

979
01:19:52,03 --> 01:19:55,08
watch at the district attorney's office
or something that the culture of this

980
01:19:55,09 --> 01:20:00,88
return his office would allow We have very
very strict computer use policies social

981
01:20:00,89 --> 01:20:07,72
media policies anti-discrimination policies
and so on harassment policies that we

982
01:20:07,73 --> 01:20:14,34
work in accord with the law to pardon of
the city to ensure both of the legality

983
01:20:14,35 --> 01:20:19,53
and the judge Justice is being meted
out for the victims witnesses and our

984
01:20:19,54 --> 01:20:20,17
employees on

985
01:20:20,18 --> 01:20:24,27
a daily basis so thank you for doing this
me to clarify that yes thank you and just

986
01:20:24,42 --> 01:20:28,59
letting you know that Councilman bass is
not alone and establishing the fact that

987
01:20:28,86 --> 01:20:33,08
whatever the culture of an office may be
the concern remains that individuals can

988
01:20:33,09 --> 01:20:38,72
exercise judgment at every given point
in time and the critical need for that

989
01:20:38,73 --> 01:20:43,10
judgment to be exercised that sense
of them thank you very much thank you

990
01:20:43,11 --> 01:20:49,48
Councilman The chair recognizes
counsel. Thank you very much. Chairman.

991
01:20:51,57 --> 01:20:58,44
I wanted to I wanted to to get
your thoughts on on drones. The

992
01:20:58,45 --> 01:21:02,88
reason it comes up is and it is because
we have been talking about for

993
01:21:02,89 --> 01:21:08,18
a while security cameras and more security
cameras and the last time I heard the

994
01:21:08,19 --> 01:21:09,90
price the price was five thousand for

995
01:21:09,91 --> 01:21:15,21
a camera I don't know if that's still the
prize that on of that's accurate but the

996
01:21:15,22 --> 01:21:20,66
camera is static you know and then the
problem we have is you need some way of

997
01:21:20,67 --> 01:21:21,48
someone watching

998
01:21:21,49 --> 01:21:25,65
a bunch of static cameras that might have
some limited mobility they're easy to

999
01:21:25,66 --> 01:21:31,95
avoid. Other jurisdictions now are starting
to integrate drones into the use of

1000
01:21:31,96 --> 01:21:38,86
their policing their fire fighting
their their streets department their

1001
01:21:38,87 --> 01:21:39,08
L.

1002
01:21:39,09 --> 01:21:44,95
And I and other types of services when they
are when they're when they're integrated

1003
01:21:44,96 --> 01:21:50,69
in that way for example one of the problems
that we have with limited availability

1004
01:21:50,70 --> 01:21:56,27
of personnel is for example when three
fire alarms go off you have to pick which

1005
01:21:56,28 --> 01:22:00,92
one you're going to and drones may
be helpful in saying that this is

1006
01:22:00,93 --> 01:22:06,67
a false alarm something like that. I
have complaints as I go through you know

1007
01:22:06,68 --> 01:22:12,16
various community entities now doing the
heroin opioid I was talking to a neighbor

1008
01:22:12,17 --> 01:22:16,61
a very slight gentleman who came in from
the suburbs with his wife to Fishtown he

1009
01:22:16,62 --> 01:22:20,53
complained that they have drug dealers
on his porch that he talked to them

1010
01:22:20,54 --> 01:22:24,08
eventually moved to the front of his house
and he's trying to hope to get them

1011
01:22:24,09 --> 01:22:24,44
across

1012
01:22:24,45 --> 01:22:29,98
a corner this gentleman is nobody that
should be confronting drug dealers OK but he

1013
01:22:29,99 --> 01:22:36,37
has called and called and called the police
and he's just frustrated and so one of

1014
01:22:36,38 --> 01:22:39,10
the things I thought is you
know I know there's a limit

1015
01:22:39,51 --> 01:22:43,94
a limited amount of vailable cars and
officers but drones also could go out there

1016
01:22:44,25 --> 01:22:48,33
they're very well. Marked the light up
people see him coming they're good for

1017
01:22:48,34 --> 01:22:54,09
moving things around they record they do
all that. I think one of the problems as

1018
01:22:54,10 --> 01:22:59,75
we even begin this discussion is stop
and frisk and I bring up stop and frisk

1019
01:22:59,76 --> 01:23:05,67
because Stop and Frisk unfortunately has
taken on this new life in our city. And

1020
01:23:05,68 --> 01:23:09,42
people asked me Councilman
view support stop and frisk as

1021
01:23:09,43 --> 01:23:15,13
a crime fighting policy I tell them
No I don't stop and frisk is not

1022
01:23:15,14 --> 01:23:18,12
a crime fighting policy it's a it's

1023
01:23:18,13 --> 01:23:23,90
a evidentiary decision that
allows officers when provided.

1024
01:23:25,68 --> 01:23:28,40
Reasonable articulable basis that

1025
01:23:28,44 --> 01:23:35,40
a suspect should be stopped in investigated
but may be armed and dangerous

1026
01:23:35,78 --> 01:23:40,84
to stop them and then frisk them to that
limited degree and whatever they find is

1027
01:23:40,85 --> 01:23:44,85
admissible in court that's what I try to
explain every community meaning I go and

1028
01:23:44,86 --> 01:23:50,67
on wording wherever I go that you know but
anytime somebody says stop and frisk is

1029
01:23:50,68 --> 01:23:54,89
a crime fighting policy I said that that's
going to be an abuse of the Constitution

1030
01:23:54,95 --> 01:24:01,90
you cannot proactively go out and
curry these parameters however. The

1031
01:24:01,91 --> 01:24:08,75
concern is that the police will
abuse drones security cameras or

1032
01:24:08,76 --> 01:24:13,67
whatever they have and particular in certain
of our communities where they've felt

1033
01:24:13,68 --> 01:24:18,39
you know the brunt of what they perceive
in what I agree is unconstitutional

1034
01:24:18,40 --> 01:24:24,02
actions unknowingly by police officers
who may have been encouraged to do so I

1035
01:24:24,03 --> 01:24:27,96
don't know to what extent in
Philadelphia I kind of recall that was

1036
01:24:27,97 --> 01:24:32,60
a policy I know was in New York. It may be

1037
01:24:32,61 --> 01:24:38,60
a possible solution that the D.A.'s office
has some role as in the charging unit

1038
01:24:39,00 --> 01:24:40,04
and for those who don't know

1039
01:24:40,05 --> 01:24:43,54
a police officer cannot simply
arrest you and then bring in

1040
01:24:43,55 --> 01:24:47,32
a court that has to go through. Through
it screen through the D.A.'s office with

1041
01:24:47,36 --> 01:24:48,12
A.T.F.

1042
01:24:48,13 --> 01:24:53,00
Who will look at it objectively based on
the information to approve or disapprove

1043
01:24:53,45 --> 01:25:00,05
you know the the furtherance the charges
and I wonder your thoughts on the use of

1044
01:25:00,06 --> 01:25:05,24
drones within the crime fighting area and
the possibility that the D.A.'s office

1045
01:25:05,25 --> 01:25:11,41
provides the supervision and legal
authority that limits civil rights abuses

1046
01:25:11,42 --> 01:25:14,87
constitutional pieces certainly Thank
you Councilman and you've asked me

1047
01:25:14,88 --> 01:25:19,95
a several part law school exam I'll start
with the second part first up for it

1048
01:25:19,96 --> 01:25:20,38
you've been through

1049
01:25:20,39 --> 01:25:26,42
a boxing match. But I want to first
thank you for be hearing is that you're

1050
01:25:26,43 --> 01:25:31,38
conducting across the city about opioid
addiction that we really have to do all

1051
01:25:31,39 --> 01:25:32,13
that we can as

1052
01:25:32,14 --> 01:25:37,96
a city to address that scourge on our cities
so thank you very much from the bottom

1053
01:25:37,97 --> 01:25:44,05
of my heart so one you're talking about
the use of drones and I would never

1054
01:25:44,21 --> 01:25:49,12
consider fought much about drones until
our office began working with others

1055
01:25:49,53 --> 01:25:56,43
federal agencies state agencies the local
police to prepare for the papal visit we

1056
01:25:56,44 --> 01:25:57,28
referred to it as pope

1057
01:25:57,29 --> 01:26:03,98
a palooza and one of the greatest concerns
was the possibility of individuals going

1058
01:26:03,99 --> 01:26:06,79
on Amazon and buying

1059
01:26:06,80 --> 01:26:13,24
a thousand dollar. Drone and
strapping explosives to it and just

1060
01:26:13,25 --> 01:26:18,02
flying it to the art museum steps and we
were very concerned some cities like San

1061
01:26:18,03 --> 01:26:23,67
Francisco and the District Columbia have
very strict unmanned aircraft regulations

1062
01:26:23,68 --> 01:26:27,69
in Philadelphia at that point I don't think
we did so the first time I really began

1063
01:26:27,70 --> 01:26:29,25
thinking about drones as

1064
01:26:29,26 --> 01:26:35,86
a came to public safety. Your specific
question though is really nor related to

1065
01:26:35,87 --> 01:26:42,00
just technology in the police department
and law enforcement in general and so on

1066
01:26:42,33 --> 01:26:47,51
every year I come before council I often
say that God bless you I often say that do

1067
01:26:47,52 --> 01:26:49,69
we have to have as much technology as

1068
01:26:49,70 --> 01:26:55,29
a criminals do. Often they have
much more technology than we do.

1069
01:26:56,72 --> 01:27:01,40
And so I know Commissioner Ross when he
came here you know he's appointed by the

1070
01:27:01,41 --> 01:27:05,40
mayor and he had to be very polite maybe
with what he said or was limited with what

1071
01:27:05,41 --> 01:27:06,66
he said but I have to be

1072
01:27:06,67 --> 01:27:12,13
a great advocate for the police department
and have to say that I believe that they

1073
01:27:12,14 --> 01:27:16,78
deserve more funding for technology more
funding for their the police stations

1074
01:27:16,79 --> 01:27:23,01
themselves more funding for just the
police vehicles. We really need to invest.

1075
01:27:24,16 --> 01:27:27,37
In public safety and I look forward to
working with the mayor I know he's inherited

1076
01:27:27,38 --> 01:27:31,80
a budget in many ways in the parameters
from its predecessors but I have to be an

1077
01:27:31,81 --> 01:27:34,23
advocate for Commissioner Ross

1078
01:27:34,29 --> 01:27:40,23
a fellow central low measure you are myself
to do all that and Mr Mosey to do all

1079
01:27:40,24 --> 01:27:45,47
that is necessary to keep up what's
interesting we talk about the drones are

1080
01:27:45,48 --> 01:27:48,65
technology the University of
Pennsylvania as a result of

1081
01:27:48,66 --> 01:27:52,63
a tragic homicide in the
ninety's began investing

1082
01:27:52,67 --> 01:27:57,94
a lot of money into public safety in
Westwood off in the part of the eighteenth

1083
01:27:57,95 --> 01:28:03,44
district and that is significantly
reduced crime in that part of eighteenth

1084
01:28:03,45 --> 01:28:07,53
district they have sound spotting
cameras and when there's

1085
01:28:07,54 --> 01:28:14,52
a shot fired cameras are let me go to are
the sound came from they employ Allied

1086
01:28:14,53 --> 01:28:19,88
Barton Security people on bikes from eight
pm until four am and there's very well

1087
01:28:19,89 --> 01:28:26,37
lit as is Temple University campus
now and so the investment into these

1088
01:28:26,38 --> 01:28:31,91
technologies has dramatically changed
it's called the ecology of crime you can

1089
01:28:31,92 --> 01:28:37,41
dramatically change crime buy and crime
patterns by investing in the environment

1090
01:28:37,47 --> 01:28:43,57
environmental design. And so I think of
course the INS investments in technology

1091
01:28:43,58 --> 01:28:45,24
everybody watches C.S.I.

1092
01:28:45,75 --> 01:28:51,47
They think that every police car in
Philadelphia has cameras and that we don't and

1093
01:28:51,48 --> 01:28:53,37
so we need to invest in

1094
01:28:53,38 --> 01:28:59,77
a crime lab and over the. Facilities that
would allow us to reduce the backlog on

1095
01:29:00,21 --> 01:29:02,45
ballistics examinations and D.N.A.

1096
01:29:02,46 --> 01:29:07,12
Examination in addition to the drones
now the question also goes to the

1097
01:29:07,13 --> 01:29:12,43
Constitution and the Fourth Amendment and
you spoke also about stop and frisk which

1098
01:29:12,44 --> 01:29:16,67
really is just the embodiment
of tell you versus Ohio

1099
01:29:17,00 --> 01:29:20,43
a case that you studied in law school
and so did councilman green when he was

1100
01:29:20,44 --> 01:29:23,87
working at the D.A.'s office really the
police officer the police often has

1101
01:29:23,88 --> 01:29:27,52
a reason logical suspicion to believe
that crime is afoot he or she has the

1102
01:29:27,53 --> 01:29:31,98
absolute right to pat down that defendant
and then if they feel something that as

1103
01:29:31,99 --> 01:29:38,30
a result of their police or professional
experience is the the you know the form of

1104
01:29:38,31 --> 01:29:41,27
a weapon they have a right subject without

1105
01:29:41,31 --> 01:29:46,88
a warrant to take that item out of their
pocket off their person so we can do

1106
01:29:46,89 --> 01:29:51,66
things to ensure that the Constitution is
protected that individual liberties of

1107
01:29:51,67 --> 01:29:56,96
the defendant and that citizen is not
violated at the same time ensuring public

1108
01:29:56,97 --> 01:30:01,73
safety do not have a right to privacy
as you stand on a street corner with

1109
01:30:01,74 --> 01:30:05,42
a gun in your hand and drugs that you're
sharing that poison to kill other

1110
01:30:05,43 --> 01:30:09,75
Philadelphians but we can't
use drones to up you have

1111
01:30:09,76 --> 01:30:15,37
a camera have an infrared go into the
law into the person's home you know so

1112
01:30:15,38 --> 01:30:15,94
there's definitely

1113
01:30:15,95 --> 01:30:20,40
a balance that we can strike but if I can
say anything and doing all that we can do

1114
01:30:20,41 --> 01:30:26,75
to improve and invest in technology for
law enforcement in football for you again

1115
01:30:26,76 --> 01:30:31,85
will help the taxpayers save money and in
the long run will also increase public

1116
01:30:31,86 --> 01:30:36,44
safety. Thank you very much thank you
Chairman Thank you Councilman chair

1117
01:30:36,45 --> 01:30:43,16
recognizes councilman daughter. Thank
you Mr Chairman. For for driven.

1118
01:30:44,18 --> 01:30:50,80
Twenty four to twenty
fifth. Somebody is really

1119
01:30:50,81 --> 01:30:56,17
what. Certainly counts are not.

1120
01:30:57,58 --> 01:31:02,45
Should my responsibility trying to cooperate
answer questions with counsel but the

1121
01:31:02,82 --> 01:31:08,23
asset forfeiture back to the comment of
Pennsylvania really prohibits the district

1122
01:31:08,24 --> 01:31:13,00
attorney from sharing with miscible
funders what those totals are out of

1123
01:31:13,01 --> 01:31:17,98
a fear that this will governments will
defund prosecutors and law enforcement

1124
01:31:17,99 --> 01:31:24,16
across the state for that I can say I
believe that we have brought in about fifty

1125
01:31:24,17 --> 01:31:29,74
percent less in the last two years
than previously as a result of

1126
01:31:29,96 --> 01:31:35,41
a lot of different factors from us not
being able to sell it option some of these

1127
01:31:35,42 --> 01:31:40,68
items like cars or gold teeth of people at
the amount that we used to get and those

1128
01:31:40,69 --> 01:31:47,39
seem silly but that's the truth and
also US employing. And putting in place

1129
01:31:47,40 --> 01:31:53,44
protocols in our office to take into
consideration the public's concern of us God

1130
01:31:53,45 --> 01:32:00,29
bless you again the public's concern
of us taking homes of innocent third

1131
01:32:00,30 --> 01:32:06,96
parties and so we have instituted policies
in our office that have reduced the

1132
01:32:06,97 --> 01:32:12,62
number of those types of cases but at the
same time councilman recognizing that

1133
01:32:13,22 --> 01:32:18,50
almost daily we get calls from citizens
from taxpayers from council members and

1134
01:32:18,51 --> 01:32:24,45
your constituent services reps that
Philadelphians are afraid of drug dealers and

1135
01:32:24,46 --> 01:32:28,48
people selling drugs out of homes that
they want to shut down a crack house or

1136
01:32:28,49 --> 01:32:34,05
a house of ill repute that they want
something done and so we are. Caught in that

1137
01:32:34,06 --> 01:32:39,85
place of trying to work with the department
license and inspections the police to

1138
01:32:39,86 --> 01:32:44,59
ensure that those crack houses are
shut down but I would like to to give

1139
01:32:44,60 --> 01:32:45,63
a better answer to you in

1140
01:32:45,64 --> 01:32:50,84
a more full answer when George Mosey the
first assistant dancer he for many years

1141
01:32:50,85 --> 01:32:55,43
was the deputy on the Cox division handle
all of our asset forfeiture issues

1142
01:32:55,44 --> 01:32:56,39
someone asked him to give

1143
01:32:56,40 --> 01:33:03,40
a more defined answer to.
The drastic decrease in the

1144
01:33:03,89 --> 01:33:09,83
amount of money that's been recovered by
virtue of seizing and then liquidating

1145
01:33:09,84 --> 01:33:15,09
assets that were taken from drug dealers
I think we all need to remember that the

1146
01:33:15,10 --> 01:33:20,85
district attorney's office is not the sole
recipient of such money that we share

1147
01:33:20,86 --> 01:33:25,86
that with the seizing entity whether it's
the police department or if it was what

1148
01:33:25,87 --> 01:33:32,86
is that split proxy well with the Philadelphia
Police Department sixty forty sixty

1149
01:33:32,87 --> 01:33:36,93
going where sixty going to the police
department and forty going to the D.A.'s

1150
01:33:36,94 --> 01:33:43,06
office and with other entities commensurate
with the involvement of the entity and

1151
01:33:43,07 --> 01:33:50,00
the investigation or actions that resulted
in the siege. Well I would then assume

1152
01:33:50,01 --> 01:33:54,63
that you would project lower
forfeiture revenues going forward yes.

1153
01:33:56,77 --> 01:33:59,58
Small amounts of cash and I might use

1154
01:33:59,59 --> 01:34:05,79
a threshold about fifty dollars. Anyway
or not fifty five hundred dollars as I

1155
01:34:05,80 --> 01:34:12,56
continue doing or. It
depends on the case. The

1156
01:34:12,57 --> 01:34:13,17
filing of

1157
01:34:13,18 --> 01:34:20,01
a petition is an expensive proposition
but sometimes litigating those matters

1158
01:34:20,05 --> 01:34:21,83
is an expensive proposition so

1159
01:34:21,84 --> 01:34:28,69
a determination is made based
on those factors. And. You

1160
01:34:28,79 --> 01:34:29,95
touched on it but I just want to get

1161
01:34:29,96 --> 01:34:34,44
a more definitive answer do you plan to
continue forfeiting forfeiture property

1162
01:34:34,74 --> 01:34:39,55
from people who have not been convicted
of crimes or already had parents

1163
01:34:39,56 --> 01:34:45,09
grandparents or so over there and sisters
who had it always hurts when you say

1164
01:34:45,10 --> 01:34:51,26
grandparents. But the fact is that
if those people are complicit

1165
01:34:52,07 --> 01:34:55,78
or they are allowed their
property to be used to facilitate

1166
01:34:55,79 --> 01:35:00,54
a drug then that property is subject to
being forth and what's your definition of

1167
01:35:00,55 --> 01:35:05,98
a mile I mean well I think that's where
there is an opportunity for movement in

1168
01:35:05,99 --> 01:35:09,77
terms of reforming forfeiture
OK we've even talked about

1169
01:35:09,81 --> 01:35:13,45
a standard that would cause
us to have to prove beyond

1170
01:35:13,46 --> 01:35:19,09
a reasonable doubt that someone was not
an innocent on at this point it's by

1171
01:35:19,10 --> 01:35:25,85
a preponderance and it A C L U S A report
that shows seventy one percent of the

1172
01:35:25,94 --> 01:35:31,98
innocent or third party victims who
lose cash through forfeiture. Are

1173
01:35:31,99 --> 01:35:37,19
African-Americans. Unfortunately I would
think that the numbers are probably

1174
01:35:37,20 --> 01:35:44,16
consistent with the number of people who
are arrested for drug offenses and also

1175
01:35:44,17 --> 01:35:47,68
unfortunately those numbers are consistent
with the number of people who are the

1176
01:35:47,69 --> 01:35:54,60
victims of violent crime. And I have
one additional question the state

1177
01:35:54,61 --> 01:35:58,56
legislature I think you alluded to is
considering dramatically curbing the

1178
01:35:58,57 --> 01:36:02,16
authority to conduct civil
asset forfeiture do you have

1179
01:36:02,17 --> 01:36:06,74
a stance on that it was like I think it
would be the biggest mistake we could make

1180
01:36:07,51 --> 01:36:13,04
if you think about a crack house and
what happens to a community where

1181
01:36:13,05 --> 01:36:18,54
a crack house exists and if you think about
just arresting people and never doing

1182
01:36:18,55 --> 01:36:22,53
anything about the size of the operation
in which you're talking about is

1183
01:36:22,54 --> 01:36:25,32
perpetuating that activity without making

1184
01:36:25,33 --> 01:36:32,27
a dent and the crime that's the source
of all the violence that makes property

1185
01:36:32,28 --> 01:36:39,09
values go down. I believe that if you look
at the history of asset forfeiture and

1186
01:36:39,10 --> 01:36:44,94
consider where we would be if we had taken
properties. The city would have gone to

1187
01:36:44,95 --> 01:36:45,24
hell in

1188
01:36:45,25 --> 01:36:52,05
a handbasket. Thank you very much Mr Chairman
I Sec your counsel and chair recognizes

1189
01:36:52,06 --> 01:36:58,93
counsel them bloody well.
That. There ARE YOU Yes

1190
01:36:59,37 --> 01:37:06,20
Good to see you and thank you for all
that. We're very very grateful I

1191
01:37:06,21 --> 01:37:10,08
never had the space but I
miss. You how there was

1192
01:37:10,09 --> 01:37:16,17
a great boxer here THANK YOU THANK YOU
THANK YOU I mean this about victim witness

1193
01:37:16,44 --> 01:37:22,90
this to all. And to but
they all judge by saying.

1194
01:37:24,06 --> 01:37:30,92
They all get to say because some
mayors they see work or I'd. Be

1195
01:37:30,93 --> 01:37:36,59
put on here for. Well so our office is

1196
01:37:36,60 --> 01:37:42,43
a primary funder for geographic based
victim service organizations throughout the

1197
01:37:42,44 --> 01:37:45,63
city. And so you know they do

1198
01:37:45,64 --> 01:37:51,47
a tremendous job I think serving the
victims when they come to court it's

1199
01:37:51,48 --> 01:37:53,42
a very difficult job and we provide

1200
01:37:53,43 --> 01:37:58,53
a lot of them we we need them and so if
your question is are is are veering away

1201
01:37:58,54 --> 01:38:04,92
nge you know does one provide better services
in the other that's quite possible we

1202
01:38:04,93 --> 01:38:05,07
have

1203
01:38:05,08 --> 01:38:11,37
a very rigorous review every year John
Delaney who is the deputy my trial division

1204
01:38:11,38 --> 01:38:17,52
is here he intended Levin who is charge
of victim services in our office lead

1205
01:38:17,53 --> 01:38:23,58
a committee that reviews all the applications.
And I'm very confident in the review

1206
01:38:23,59 --> 01:38:24,21
that we give There are

1207
01:38:24,22 --> 01:38:29,54
a lot of organizations that I wish we
could fund I wish we could give money to.

1208
01:38:31,59 --> 01:38:38,51
The mothers. You know the last children
right right mothers in charge and Dorothy

1209
01:38:38,82 --> 01:38:41,27
Johnson speak right I wish
we could give money to

1210
01:38:41,28 --> 01:38:44,34
a lot of great organizations but we have

1211
01:38:44,35 --> 01:38:48,46
a limited budget but the majority of our
budget that goes towards something other

1212
01:38:48,47 --> 01:38:49,22
than salaries

1213
01:38:49,23 --> 01:38:55,25
a lot of office goes towards funding those
organizations and those organizations do

1214
01:38:55,97 --> 01:39:02,80
Hercules job with the task
that they have. OK thank you I

1215
01:39:02,81 --> 01:39:09,16
follow up if I get the other question thank
you certainly thank you control. Chair

1216
01:39:09,17 --> 01:39:15,17
recognizes counsel agree. Thank you
Mr Chair I just want to fall for one

1217
01:39:15,93 --> 01:39:21,67
of the question. Earlier we were talking
with the purchase of district and they are

1218
01:39:21,68 --> 01:39:24,11
talking about creating a first as

1219
01:39:24,12 --> 01:39:31,09
a district kind of elder Center and this
PASOK rollout sometime in the early

1220
01:39:31,10 --> 01:39:32,58
to mid summer and hopefully have

1221
01:39:32,59 --> 01:39:37,75
a fully up and running by the fall I know
if I'm I'm standing in your office you

1222
01:39:37,76 --> 01:39:42,19
also have an elder. Of
this crane that A.B.A.

1223
01:39:42,20 --> 01:39:48,44
This specifically does need to work on
Elder issues. With mystics and yes so our

1224
01:39:48,45 --> 01:39:53,85
family bonds and sexual assault unit handles
the majority of cases in which family

1225
01:39:53,86 --> 01:39:58,40
members and unfortunately in Philadelphia
the majority of people that commit crimes

1226
01:39:58,41 --> 01:40:03,61
against the elderly are family members just
like ninety percent of the people that

1227
01:40:03,62 --> 01:40:09,46
commit sexual offenses against children are
known to the family members yes but Ms

1228
01:40:09,47 --> 01:40:14,13
Nixon handles all the majority
of the economic cases that are

1229
01:40:14,14 --> 01:40:18,40
a result of elder abuse
and we go out and provide

1230
01:40:18,41 --> 01:40:22,99
a lot of support to community groups that
want to come out and talk to them as well

1231
01:40:23,15 --> 01:40:27,58
and we look forward to working with the
first judicial district in the roll out of

1232
01:40:27,59 --> 01:40:32,05
this facility where one of reason I want
to bring that is by the hearing and.

1233
01:40:33,16 --> 01:40:38,98
Housman Tom Burke and I He's the chair of
the Council on the vice chair and we've

1234
01:40:38,99 --> 01:40:43,76
been discussing having conversations and
having hearings in the fog regarding

1235
01:40:44,51 --> 01:40:48,24
financial fraud issues special
reference to seniors or as my dad was

1236
01:40:48,25 --> 01:40:52,10
a seasoned citizens always had
conversations with a R.P.

1237
01:40:52,23 --> 01:40:57,86
I just learned of Africa this district
and their elder unit as well as will

1238
01:40:57,87 --> 01:41:01,02
hopefully we can work with this praise
office in that regard what we have is

1239
01:41:01,03 --> 01:41:04,24
hearings and really get the word
out one of the things that a R.P.

1240
01:41:04,25 --> 01:41:08,79
Does is have telephone town hall meetings
for those who are seniors they have

1241
01:41:08,80 --> 01:41:13,26
mobility issues and we hope to use that
technology in our hearings possibly to fall

1242
01:41:13,58 --> 01:41:17,53
right in the majority as crimes Council in
our various forms of identity theft but

1243
01:41:17,87 --> 01:41:24,57
where people prey on seniors honesty and
like my mother you know people call my

1244
01:41:24,58 --> 01:41:29,48
mother soliciting her and she's so wanting
to talk they end up hanging up on her

1245
01:41:30,27 --> 01:41:34,76
right but people calling get information
from seniors we ought to tell them not to

1246
01:41:34,77 --> 01:41:38,43
give anyone your your age your date of
birth your Social Security number your

1247
01:41:38,44 --> 01:41:44,11
driver's license over the telephone but.
Majority those people are victims of

1248
01:41:44,79 --> 01:41:49,37
identity theft for people to get that
information and then use it where people will

1249
01:41:49,89 --> 01:41:51,15
it will send someone

1250
01:41:51,16 --> 01:41:55,14
a credit card or pre-approved credit card
and the senior citizen of the season

1251
01:41:55,15 --> 01:41:59,68
citizen doesn't want it but doesn't know
that they should shred it before they put

1252
01:41:59,69 --> 01:42:04,67
it into the trash and often dumpster divers
get those call in the one eight hundred

1253
01:42:04,68 --> 01:42:05,62
number and then go on

1254
01:42:05,63 --> 01:42:10,35
a shopping spree at the you know King of
Prussia Mall and that person is left with

1255
01:42:11,23 --> 01:42:18,20
the deteriorated the deleterious. You
know bank account credit card and

1256
01:42:18,21 --> 01:42:22,97
credit score. Also in one of
my previous capacities I was

1257
01:42:22,98 --> 01:42:26,74
a board chair present in the park
and recently a senator part receive

1258
01:42:26,75 --> 01:42:28,60
a contract for the of

1259
01:42:28,61 --> 01:42:34,27
a corporation of aging the service I mean
for senior centers. Northwest Northeast

1260
01:42:34,28 --> 01:42:40,03
but off to let the a memory system
your senators know that you have

1261
01:42:40,04 --> 01:42:44,59
a third party entity you can reach out to
breakfast or any type of abuse that you

1262
01:42:44,60 --> 01:42:49,82
may be having both at home or that senior
center has your office and that you that

1263
01:42:49,83 --> 01:42:54,63
work with any of the students that represent
the city where they get information of

1264
01:42:54,64 --> 01:43:00,17
reference to abuse and some of the abuse
may rise in level of criminal Have you any

1265
01:43:00,18 --> 01:43:06,53
contact with them at all I believe that Ms
Nixon that I've found in price who does

1266
01:43:07,73 --> 01:43:12,38
government and community relations for
office use Monique Evans Wescott and

1267
01:43:12,39 --> 01:43:17,32
representatives of our various community
action centers our community outreach team

1268
01:43:17,33 --> 01:43:22,36
which is led by Deputy District Attorney
and Pantera Oh do I reach out to all those

1269
01:43:22,37 --> 01:43:28,65
various entities for educational purposes
and to gather information if necessary

1270
01:43:28,66 --> 01:43:33,00
for us to prosecute. To my last
question it kind of reflects on

1271
01:43:33,01 --> 01:43:38,94
a follow up to the hearings that
Councilman Johnson Jones had regarding

1272
01:43:39,91 --> 01:43:42,30
use by let Spencer down by
libs and I know there's been

1273
01:43:42,31 --> 01:43:48,79
a lot of litigation over the years both
former councilman Oliver Miller. As

1274
01:43:48,80 --> 01:43:49,56
a clock has also been

1275
01:43:49,57 --> 01:43:54,25
a bottle of the geisha reference
to trying to address through

1276
01:43:54,26 --> 01:44:01,19
a legal. Issue. In the city that often
though and also accountable to some

1277
01:44:01,20 --> 01:44:08,18
degree considering the. Newer
makeup of the court talking to the

1278
01:44:08,19 --> 01:44:13,59
pensée Supreme Court is there any avenues
that could possibly take that regard that

1279
01:44:13,60 --> 01:44:19,06
you can think of well I want to thank
councilman Clarke for introduction of

1280
01:44:19,07 --> 01:44:25,27
legislation that would talk about of
course and. Locking guns and keeping the

1281
01:44:25,28 --> 01:44:31,58
ammunition safe but again state law pursuant
to the comp constitution that come up

1282
01:44:31,59 --> 01:44:38,28
the Pennsylvania preempts municipalities
legal you know ordinances and so I

1283
01:44:38,29 --> 01:44:44,20
think that and I would support I know
you'll be hearing from. The city solicitor

1284
01:44:44,24 --> 01:44:45,06
solely to wants

1285
01:44:45,07 --> 01:44:52,10
a Soon I support the law
Department's efforts to. You

1286
01:44:52,11 --> 01:44:58,64
know track that legislation
and to enforce it as a ism is

1287
01:44:58,65 --> 01:45:01,55
a code violation but we
cannot include it with

1288
01:45:01,56 --> 01:45:07,05
a criminal charge for purposes of you
know charging someone with felonies and

1289
01:45:07,06 --> 01:45:12,03
misdemeanors but are clearly support the
effort and look forward to working with

1290
01:45:12,04 --> 01:45:14,31
the council president and
I'm going to try to find

1291
01:45:14,32 --> 01:45:19,12
a way to buy as many gun locks as
possible so that maybe we can give them

1292
01:45:19,41 --> 01:45:24,62
a way to as many citizens as possible so
we don't have the horrific tragedy that we

1293
01:45:24,63 --> 01:45:29,69
do of young folks finding a mom or
mom boyfriends a gun and shooting

1294
01:45:29,70 --> 01:45:36,63
a sibling. Thank you come to. Work
in various ways councilwoman.

1295
01:45:37,93 --> 01:45:42,68
Thank you very much Mr Chairman
so I wanted to follow up.

1296
01:45:45,21 --> 01:45:50,81
Councilman Jones is concerned about victims
and witnesses could you clarify this is

1297
01:45:50,82 --> 01:45:51,00
just

1298
01:45:51,01 --> 01:45:56,19
a very quick question but could you clarify
that the funding for the victim witness

1299
01:45:56,20 --> 01:46:02,70
agencies will state the saying stable for
the coming year yes sure our funding

1300
01:46:03,21 --> 01:46:10,05
for the community be victim
service organizations. OK

1301
01:46:10,27 --> 01:46:15,07
great thank you for confirming that. We've
also been really focused on looking at

1302
01:46:15,08 --> 01:46:18,27
outcomes for some of the system
involved youth as well as

1303
01:46:18,74 --> 01:46:24,34
a number of youth homeless issues and
particularly interested also in evaluating

1304
01:46:24,38 --> 01:46:31,30
our. By contract by provider and I
would love to be able to partner with

1305
01:46:31,31 --> 01:46:38,06
you on some of these relevant initiatives.
With your office but. I was curious

1306
01:46:38,07 --> 01:46:44,38
about whether in your work with
placement and use the link with the

1307
01:46:44,52 --> 01:46:51,14
weather and the folks in your office have
talked about. How to ensure that the

1308
01:46:51,15 --> 01:46:54,90
programs that we use are effective in
achieving our goals and in particular

1309
01:46:54,94 --> 01:46:59,85
reviewing some of these providers based
on some of the outcomes that they get and

1310
01:46:59,86 --> 01:47:06,81
whether. You know for example
which he might. You know

1311
01:47:07,10 --> 01:47:12,15
are repeat offenders for example or come
out and continue to have issues after

1312
01:47:12,16 --> 01:47:17,21
being in the care of some of these places
and providers I think it's important to

1313
01:47:17,22 --> 01:47:19,33
recognize that again we're
very thankful to have

1314
01:47:19,34 --> 01:47:22,90
a great partnership with Dr Height I
go to approximately one or two schools

1315
01:47:22,91 --> 01:47:28,29
a week to talk to middle school students
now interest will students about staying

1316
01:47:28,30 --> 01:47:33,42
in school and about bullying I think
bullying is a great way to begin

1317
01:47:33,43 --> 01:47:39,72
a conversation with kids about.
Crime Prevention about conflict

1318
01:47:39,73 --> 01:47:44,66
resolution and by keeping them out of the
criminal justice system I'm very thankful

1319
01:47:44,67 --> 01:47:44,78
as

1320
01:47:44,79 --> 01:47:51,11
a result of the leadership of George moseying
that our office now files juvenile petitions

1321
01:47:51,12 --> 01:47:57,29
less than two thirds of the numbers that
we did in the past. As George did follow

1322
01:47:57,30 --> 01:47:57,78
up and give you

1323
01:47:57,79 --> 01:48:01,57
a little more detail but we're trying to
as much as we can we try to get federal

1324
01:48:01,58 --> 01:48:08,46
grants so that we can use empirical
data and analyze what we do at the

1325
01:48:08,47 --> 01:48:12,92
district attorney's office in conjunction
with analyzing what other providers do

1326
01:48:13,53 --> 01:48:17,60
and so we're constantly trying to do that
but I would like George to answer as I

1327
01:48:17,61 --> 01:48:17,92
said he was

1328
01:48:17,93 --> 01:48:21,81
a deputy our juvenile division talking
about those providers and what we're doing

1329
01:48:21,88 --> 01:48:27,76
George prosecutors in our office are
required to stay with the case from its

1330
01:48:27,77 --> 01:48:31,59
inception to the and
that means that any time

1331
01:48:31,60 --> 01:48:35,44
a young person is placed there will
be review hearings and we have

1332
01:48:35,45 --> 01:48:39,94
a prosecutor present. For each and every
one of those reviewed what's important is

1333
01:48:39,95 --> 01:48:44,54
that we have. It so that every
prosecutor who's handling

1334
01:48:44,55 --> 01:48:50,44
a review hearing knows what happened
before that require that these agencies

1335
01:48:50,45 --> 01:48:56,02
provide reports now in conjunction with
the Department of Human Services we make

1336
01:48:56,03 --> 01:49:02,11
sure that the reports indicate that the
youth has been receiving the services that

1337
01:49:02,12 --> 01:49:08,57
the agency promised. What we do with
Department of Human Services and.

1338
01:49:09,60 --> 01:49:15,99
Juvenile Justice. And those meetings
are appropriately called the CT

1339
01:49:16,00 --> 01:49:22,44
community services providers to review
these providers to build sure that they're

1340
01:49:22,45 --> 01:49:28,21
holding up the end of the bargain if they're
not then we will cut off referrals Yes

1341
01:49:28,55 --> 01:49:31,39
so for clarity one of the issues
that we're trying to understand

1342
01:49:31,40 --> 01:49:37,19
a little bit better is not just that the
providers actually fulfill the contract IT

1343
01:49:37,23 --> 01:49:42,22
services because otherwise I would clearly
make them an eligible but to try and

1344
01:49:42,23 --> 01:49:45,55
assess in some way the quality of some
of these providers and that there's been

1345
01:49:45,59 --> 01:49:51,47
a little bit of concern on on my part in
particular about one provider specifically

1346
01:49:51,48 --> 01:49:56,65
meant Atlanta. And what it's outcomes have
been for young people and its treatment

1347
01:49:56,66 --> 01:50:03,52
of young people in their care and D H S
has made some indication that that they

1348
01:50:03,56 --> 01:50:10,27
the have some level of understanding about
what outcomes might look like but it's

1349
01:50:10,28 --> 01:50:15,05
not clear whether they share it with the
different areas and your department in

1350
01:50:15,06 --> 01:50:20,26
particular would be able to track some of
these you particularly if they do repeat

1351
01:50:20,27 --> 01:50:26,19
offenses or have other kinds of issues that
will come under you and I guess part of

1352
01:50:26,20 --> 01:50:32,54
it is being able to work with different
agencies to be able to retrack and be able

1353
01:50:32,55 --> 01:50:33,12
to do

1354
01:50:33,16 --> 01:50:38,34
a good assessment of the types of providers
that. We're doing these are expensive

1355
01:50:38,63 --> 01:50:43,71
this state placement where young people go
away from their families and we want to

1356
01:50:43,72 --> 01:50:48,70
make sure and ensure that the outcomes
that these providers have are the kinds of

1357
01:50:48,71 --> 01:50:52,77
quality outcomes that we want to see if
that would just like to be able to continue

1358
01:50:52,78 --> 01:50:56,77
this conversation with your office on that
level but I have to say that whenever

1359
01:50:56,78 --> 01:51:00,98
you're talking about outcomes in juvenile
justice that relate to what happens after

1360
01:51:00,99 --> 01:51:06,51
somebody goes into placement remember that
after cheer and reentry is critical and

1361
01:51:06,52 --> 01:51:11,43
so before you put all the blame on the
placement facility make sure that we had

1362
01:51:11,44 --> 01:51:16,99
adequate reentry program because that's
where we sometimes go wrong and it would be

1363
01:51:17,00 --> 01:51:22,60
unfair to blame the negative outcome on the
placement so yeah well I mean those are

1364
01:51:22,72 --> 01:51:24,85
those are things that we
need to review and take

1365
01:51:24,86 --> 01:51:29,13
a look at in terms of assessing whether
those contracts will fell all the mission

1366
01:51:29,14 --> 01:51:31,44
that they need to be doing as
well and I think that that's

1367
01:51:31,45 --> 01:51:36,94
a big gray area but would love to be able
to work with your office on the absolute

1368
01:51:37,05 --> 01:51:43,27
thank you very much. Thank you councilwoman
Are there any other questions for the

1369
01:51:43,28 --> 01:51:46,09
district attorney before. We take

1370
01:51:46,10 --> 01:51:52,88
a break I just want to say. A couple
things quick before we we end this this

1371
01:51:52,89 --> 01:51:58,94
hearing here you know in regards to. The
the conversation and your attention to the

1372
01:51:58,95 --> 01:52:05,30
seniors and. Victimized in many
many different ways intimidation.

1373
01:52:06,94 --> 01:52:12,33
You know in person Nations Bank for.
It's horrendous and I think it's

1374
01:52:12,34 --> 01:52:18,39
a disgrace the right thing. That seniors
have to be fearful and that we have to

1375
01:52:19,35 --> 01:52:25,92
to continue to sharpen our tools
you know the criminals use their

1376
01:52:25,93 --> 01:52:31,02
technology to further victimize you
know the general public and in the most

1377
01:52:31,03 --> 01:52:36,90
vulnerable we would which or witch or
senior So you know I would love to work. If

1378
01:52:36,91 --> 01:52:43,88
your office and figure out ways help to
elevate the circle it is search fresh older

1379
01:52:43,89 --> 01:52:47,71
victim a senior victim
of crime be elevated to

1380
01:52:47,72 --> 01:52:51,92
a crime here in the city of Philadelphia
so I look forward to having those

1381
01:52:51,93 --> 01:52:58,11
conversations in the future I want to thank
you and your team for being here and

1382
01:52:58,12 --> 01:53:02,85
answer you know some uncomfortable and
tough questions but I thought it was very

1383
01:53:02,86 --> 01:53:07,44
thorough and you know appreciate your several
hours here in our chambers Thank you

1384
01:53:07,45 --> 01:53:11,55
know their counsel like to thank you all
members of council and thank council

1385
01:53:11,56 --> 01:53:16,94
president Clarke for his own going partnership
with us to keep the city safe and

1386
01:53:16,95 --> 01:53:20,68
again while my name is on the letterhead
on the windows at our office I have

1387
01:53:20,69 --> 01:53:24,69
a small role to play at our office I really
want to thank again the six hundred men

1388
01:53:24,70 --> 01:53:28,31
and women that work in our office they
do the hard work every day and for my

1389
01:53:28,32 --> 01:53:31,89
preparation for today's testimony I want
to specifically thank Doreen Rooney who is

1390
01:53:31,90 --> 01:53:35,98
our Chief Financial Officer and Greg Roe
thank you very much for this opportunity

1391
01:53:36,28 --> 01:53:40,77
Greg thank you thank you Walt I want to
thank the court reporter for her extended

1392
01:53:40,78 --> 01:53:42,42
time here with that

1393
01:53:42,43 --> 01:53:46,83
a break at with that we at the committee
that all will go on recess until two

1394
01:53:46,84 --> 01:53:50,61
thirty Thank you. Thank you very much.